Safe Time Leave Law for Westchester County, NY

21715943 - new york, usa-eptember 21 consolidated edison company of new york, inc , a regulated utility providing electric, gas, and steam service in new york city and westchester county new york, september 21, 2011

21715943 - new york, usa-eptember 21 consolidated edison company of new york, inc , a regulated utility providing electric, gas, and steam service in new york city and westchester county new york, september 21, 2011

Effective October 30, 2019, covered employers in Westchester County, New York, must comply with a new Safe Time Leave Law.

What Employers and Employees Need to Know

Who Is Covered Under the Safe Time Leave Law?

In general, the Safe Time Leave (STL) Law applies to all full-time and part-time employees who work more than 90 days in a year for a covered employer in Westchester County. In particular, the law was created to help victims of domestic violence and/or human trafficking.

What Are the Rules for Using Safe Time Leave?

Employees may take up to 40 hours of paid STL in full days or increments, with certain exceptions.

Covered employees who already worked 90 days for an employer as of October 30, 2019, were eligible to use leave on that date. New or recently hired employees are eligible for paid Safe Time Leave 90 days after their first day of employment.

How May Safe Time Leave Be Used?

Safe time leave may be used for the following purposes:

  • To attend or testify at criminal and/or civil court proceedings related to domestic violence or human trafficking
  • To move to a safe location

Does the STL Law Include Retaliation Protections?

Under the law, employees have the right to be free from retaliation by an employer for:

  • Requesting Safe Time Leave
  • Using Safe Time Leave
  • Informing other employees of their rights under the law
  • Filing a complaint alleging a violation of the law

Victims of domestic violence or human trafficking who believe their rights have been violated should contact the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection. The Safe Time Leave Law notice includes a phone number (914-995-7710) and a website for the department.

Those who have questions about the law may send an email to the Westchester County Human Rights Commission (humanrights@westchestergov.com).

Are There Any Changes to the Earned Sick Leave Law?

Yes, there are some updates to the law and the Earned Sick Leave Law notice, which was issued in April 2019.

The ESL Law now requires employers who have fewer than 5 employees to provide unpaid Earned Sick Leave (ESL), in contrast to employers with 5 or more employees, who must continue to provide paid leave. Certain exceptions to coverage under the ESL Law now apply to full-time or part-time employees working more than 80 hours in a calendar year.

For those who may need general information about the law, the Earned Sick Leave Law notice has a new phone number (914-995-7710) and a new email address (humanrights@westchestergov.com) for the Westchester County Human Rights Commission.

Compliance Made Easy!

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to order our City/County Poster 1-Year Plan so that you will automatically receive the updated Westchester County poster, which is now available. And because we provide free poster updates for mandatory changes, no matter how many occur during the plan year, you can always count on Poster Compliance Center to keep your business in compliance!