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Ring in The New Year With New York Paid Family Leave

Dec 14th, 2017

Beginning on January 1, 2018, New York state will have one of the most comprehensive paid family leave laws in the country. The New York Paid Family Lave Benefits Law (PFL) applies to all private-sector employers regardless of size – even if you have just one employee working from home in New York.

Under the PFL employees may take paid family leave to:

  • Care for a child within 12 months after birth, adoption or foster care placement;
  • Care for a family member with a serious health condition;
  • Or to relieve family pressure in the event of a qualifying family member being called to active military service.

Full-time employees are eligible for PFL benefits after being employed for 26 consecutive weeks. Part-time employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week become eligible after working 175 days.

Also, businesses with employees working in New York for 30 or more days in a calendar year must obtain PFL insurance coverage. The PFL insurance coverage, which is like disability coverage, is employee-funded through payroll deductions. For information about setting up a policy, reach out to the persons disability insurance carrier.

New York employers are required to provide written guidance to employees concerning their rights and obligations under the new regulations. Also, the new regulations prohibit employers from requiring that employees use all accrued paid time off while they are on leave which could conflict with current policies. Taking all of this into account, we recommend updating the employee handbook to ensure compliance.

If you are a New York employer, please feel free to reach out to us for guidance on how to comply with the new regulations. You can contact your O’Connor Group HR Consultant at info@tocgrp.com.

This information is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. The O’Connor Group makes no representations as to the completeness, suitability, or validity of any information contained herein and will not be liable for any errors or omissions.

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