Under NYC’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, covered employees can use sick leave:
- For diagnosis, care, or treatment of illness, injury, or health condition or for preventive medical care for employee or anyone employee considers family.
- When a public official closes employee’s business or child’s school or child care provider due to a public health emergency.
- To recover from side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- To take a child to get the COVID-19 vaccine or to care for a child recovering from side effects of the vaccine
Employees may be eligible for 2 additional days as unpaid leave under NYC’s Temporary Schedule Change Law. See the Temporary Work Schedule Change page for more information.
Special Leave for Vaccination
Worker Vaccination
All private and public sector workers in New York State get up to 4 hours per vaccine injection, for a total of up to 8 hours.
This state law is effective from March 12, 2021 through December 31, 2023.
Visit the New York State Department of Labor's website.
Workers should use Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccinations to get vaccinated. It is in addition to accrued leave under State or City Paid Sick Leave Laws. New York State’s Paid Sick Leave Law took effect September 30, 2020. Workers may use accrued leave under City law to recover from side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. Leave may also be covered by State law.
Mandatory Quarantine or Isolation
New York State Emergency COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave
This state law covers government-ordered quarantine or isolation only.
Note: Workers who need an order of quarantine or isolation (COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Documentation) to give their employers can contact the NYC Department of Health.
Employees get leave for the duration of quarantine or isolation. Rate of pay is based on number of employees and, in some cases, business earnings.
|
| 1-10 | Less than $1 million in prior year | Unpaid (all days) |
| More than $1 million in prior year | Paid (at least 5 days)
Unpaid (remaining days) |
| 11-99 | Not applicable | Paid (at least 5 days)
Unpaid (remaining days) |
| 100+ | Not applicable | Paid (at least 14 days) |
Employees may qualify for COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave for up to 3 orders of quarantine or isolation.
Employees can use Paid Family Leave or disability benefits for the mandatory quarantine or isolation period not covered by sick days paid directly by their employer.
Exception: Workers who voluntarily travel to states designated as high risk cannot access state paid sick leave benefits or other paid benefits under the law.
Learn more about emergency paid sick leave for COVID-19.
Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The federal law was effective from April 2, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
You can learn about current federal protections during the pandemic from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Visit the U.S. Department of Labor website.
