One year ago this month, New York’s paid family leave law began providing benefits, covering over six million workers across the state. For the first time, covered workers in New York State gained the right to take paid, job-protected time off to bond with a new child (including adopted and foster children), care for a seriously ill family member, or address certain military family needs.
This year, the benefit rate and the amount of time workers can take goes up. If your leave starts in 2019, you can take up to ten weeks of paid family leave and receive 55% of your average weekly pay, up to a cap of $746.41 per week.
A Better Balance is also pleased to announce a new and comprehensive resource: our Worker’s Guide to New York Paid Family Leave. The guide helps New Yorkers understand their rights in 2019 and beyond, with step-by-step instructions on how to apply, a detailed FAQ, and guidance and sample language for how workers might address conflicts that arise. Check out the guide here.
Have questions? A Better Balance will be hosting a Facebook Live event with Working Mother on January 23, 2019, at 1pm to answer your questions about how paid family can work for you and your family in 2019. Follow us on Facebook for more information.
A Better Balance is proud to have been a leading member of the coalition that fought for and won passage of New York’s groundbreaking paid family leave law and continues to assist workers in using their rights every day. For more information on New York’s paid family leave law, visit us online or call our free and confidential hotline at 1-833-NEED-ABB.
