New York City Amends Earned Sick Leave Law

Under New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, certain employees who work in the city are entitled to receive safe leave as well as sick leave.

Recent “safe time” amendments, which went into effect on May 5, 2018, do not require employers to give employees additional time off for safe leave; instead, employers are required to allow employees to use earned leave for safe leave purposes.

The newly titled law (formerly the Earned Sick Time Act) states that employees may use safe leave to seek assistance or take safety precautions related to an act or threat of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking for themselves or a family member.

Likewise, employees may use sick time for their own or a family member’s care or treatment.

Requirements of the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act

Employers who have 5 or more employees who work 80-plus hours in a calendar year in New York City are required to give their employees paid safe or sick leave. Employers who have fewer than 5 employees must give their employees unpaid leave.

While there is no posting requirement in the law, employers must provide their employees with written notice of their rights under the law upon commencement of employment or by June 4, 2018, whichever is later. The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs has created a notice that meets this written requirement.

Additional Information

For more information about the law and to access the required written notice, we encourage customers to go to the following website: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dca/about/paid-sick-leave-law.page

As the most reliable resource for mandatory labor law posters, you can always count on Poster Compliance Center to keep you informed about new laws and related employer requirements—including laws that do not have a posting requirement.