NYC Expands Safe and Sick Leave Requirements: What Employers Need to Know
The New York City Council just passed legislation to further expand the city’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act. The amendments, approved on September 25, will soon broaden the reasons employees can use sick leave, introduce a new 32-hour bank of unpaid leave, and eliminate obligations under the Temporary Schedule Change Act in light of the expanded sick leave requirements . Below, we summarize the current requirements, highlight the key changes, and outline steps employers should take to prepare. What’s the Current Law? Under the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA), employers with 99 or fewer employees must provide employees with up to 40 hours of safe/sick leave per year, while larger employers with 100 or more employees must provide up to 56 hours. Leave accrues at a minimum rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Except for employers with four of fewer employees and a net income under $1 million in the previous year, safe/sick leave must be paid. Employees may use ...