Are you a part-time worker in New York? If so, you may be eligible to take up to 8 weeks of paid family leave starting in January 2018.
New York’s new paid family leave law will give most people who work in New York State—including part-time workers—the right to take paid time off, without losing their job or their health insurance, in order to bond with a new child, care for a seriously ill family member, or address certain military family needs. There is no minimum number of hours a worker must work in order to be covered, and the law applies regardless of immigration or citizenship status.
If you usually work 20 or more hours per week, you qualify for paid family leave when you have been employed for 26 weeks (or about 6 months) by your employer. If you usually work less than 20 hours per week, you qualify for paid family leave after working 175 days for your employer. You can start receiving benefits once you meet these qualifications, or on January 1, 2018, whichever comes later.
This law is different from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a federal law that provides some workers with the right to unpaid time off in many of the same situations. You can find out more about the relationship between the FMLA and New York’s paid family leave law here.
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.
This blog post is part of an on-going series of know-your-rights information on New York’s paid family leave law. This post does not address all aspects of the law and does not constitute legal advice.
