New York governor signs paid sick leave bill amid COVID-19 outbreak News
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New York governor signs paid sick leave bill amid COVID-19 outbreak

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday signed a bill passed by the state assembly the same day, providing paid sick leave and family leave benefits to New York citizens who are ill or quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic. The benefits of the new law apply both to those who are sick and those in quarantine or isolation, whether mandated or precautionary.

“No one should have to make the impossible choice between losing their job or providing for their family and going to work, especially during this pandemic,” said Cuomo. “We seek to build upon this effort with guaranteed sick leave for all in this year’s budget.”

The legislation provides a staggered set of benefits for employees of small, medium and large employers in the state in both the private and public sectors. For businesses with 10 or fewer employees and less than $1 million in income, the employees receive unpaid sick leave but are eligible for benefits under New York’s paid family leave and disability insurance system. For these small business that earn more than $1 million each year, and for medium-sized businesses with 11 to 99 employees, the law requires five days of paid sick leave, followed by eligibility for the same state benefits. Employees of businesses with more than 100 employees and all public sector employees will be required to receive a minimum of 14 days’ paid sick leave.

Speaker of the New York State Assembly Carl Heastie stated that the new law “will help save lives by ensuring people that are sick stay home, and it will allow people to recover without having to worry about losing their livelihood.”

For more on COVID-19, see our special coverage.

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