Along with gearing up for Affordable Care, New York City private sector employers must also prepare to comply with a new law which potentially will require them to provide paid or unpaid sick leave for many employees. New York City has become one of five municipalities nationwide to mandate that employers provide this type of leave. Mayor Bloomberg vetoed the bill, but City Council overrode the veto. New York City employers should familiarize themselves with the provisions of this complicated law.
The effective date of the law is tied into economic indicators, so the status of it will be revisited in December, 2013. Assuming that the indicators are positive, the law will require employers with twenty (20) or more employees to provide up to 40 hours paid annual leave as of April 1, 2014. The law covers all full time and part time employees who have worked more than four (4) months, so long as they annually work at least 80 hours in a calendar year in New York City. By October 1, 2015, it also would apply to employers with between 15 and 19 employees and employers who employ one or more domestic workers. It also requires smaller employers to provide no less than five (5) unpaid sick days per year for all employees effective April, 2014. There are penalties for violating the act, and employers will be required to provide notice of employees’ rights to all new employees. Similar legislation, called the Healthy Families Act, is pending in Congress.
As leading attorneys in the field of Employment Law, your legal team at Abrams Fensterman is committed to providing you with timely information and expert counsel on new laws and policies. Sharon Stiller is a partner and director of the Employment Law Practice at Abrams Fensterman. She advises businesses and executives on a full range of employment matters. You can reach Sharon directly at (585) 218-9999 or [email protected].
