On Tuesday March 17, 2020, Governor Cuomo announced that the New York State legislature has agreed to paid sick leave and other protections for employees as a result of the impact of the Coronavirus. While the text of the bill has not yet been released and has not passed the legislature, the Governor announced that the legislation, which will become effective immediately upon enactment, will include the following:
- Employers with 10 or fewer employees and a net income less than $1 million will provide job protection for the duration of the quarantine order and guarantee their workers access to Paid Family Leave and disability benefits (short-term disability) for the period of quarantine including wage replacement for their salaries up to $150,000.
- Employers with 11-99 employees and employers with 10 or fewer employees and a net income greater than $1 million will provide at least 5 days of paid sick leave, job protection for the duration of the quarantine order, and guarantee their workers access to Paid Family Leave and disability benefits (short-term disability) for the period of quarantine including wage replacement for their salaries up to $150,000.
- Employers with 100 or more employees, as well as all public employers (regardless of number of employees), will provide at least 14 days of paid sick leave and guarantee job protection for the duration of the quarantine order.
The legislation will also include annual sick leave (similar to the NYC law), which will be effective 180 days after enactment. The legislation, according to the Governor, will include the following:
- Employers with 4 or fewer employees and a net income less than $1 million will provide at least 5 days of unpaid sick leave each year.
- Employers with 5-99 employees and employers with 4 or fewer employees and a net income greater than $1 million will provide at least 5 days of paid sick leave each year.
- Employers with 100 or more employees will provide at least 7 days of paid sick leave each year.
