EMPLOYMENT LAW NEWS
New York State Budget Bill to Impact Employers With 3 Significant Paid Leave Benefits
By Jana Bjorklund, GovDocs Senior Counsel and
Director, Employment Law and Compliance
Published April 26, 2024
Part of an overall investment in their healthcare system, New York’s Budget Bill includes three significant paid leave benefits that will impact employers and their workers.
How Will the FY 2025 Budget Bill Impact Paid Leave in the State of New York?
On April 22, 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a first-of-its-kind paid leave benefit (among others), as part of the state’s FY 2025 Budget Bill. Part of an overall investment in their healthcare system, New York’s Budget Bill includes three significant paid leave benefits that will impact employers and their workers.
New Prenatal Paid Leave
Private employers in New York will be required to provide 20 hours of paid prenatal leave to be used for prenatal care during any 52-week calendar period. The state’s Labor Law § 196-b will be amended to include this leave and will be in addition to the state’s current paid sick leave requirements. Covered employees will be able to use this additional paid leave in hourly increments for physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring, and testing related to their pregnancy. This paid leave requirement will be effective on Jan. 1, 2025.
New Paid Nursing Leave
Starting June 19, 2024, private and public sector employers in New York must provide their workers who are nursing mothers with 30-minute paid breaks to express breast milk during the workday. Currently, New York employees are entitled to reasonable unpaid break time to do so. New York’s Labor Law § 206-c will be amended to include this requirement.
COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Extended
Although COVID-19-specific paid leave appears to be in the rear-view mirror for most states, New York has taken a different approach. Under the Budget Bill, they have extended their COVID-19 paid leave law for another year. New York’s COVID-19 paid leave will continue until July 31, 2025, when it will be repealed.
Conclusion
As these changes to New York’s paid leave laws demonstrate, paid leave requirements for employees across the country continue to evolve at a rapid pace, moving in new directions.
Looking for support and guidance when it comes to increasingly complex paid leave laws across multiple jurisdictions? GovDocs Paid Leave Solution is just what you and your team need to ensure your company’s continued compliance.
This Employment Law News blog is intended for market awareness only, it is not to be used for legal advice or counsel.
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