Four Years in the Making - New York Passes Earned Sick Leave Act

July 12, 2013

The New York City Council passed the controversial sick leave act, the Earned Sick Time Act (the Act), on June 26, 2013.  The City Council overrode Mayor Michael Bloomberg's veto and passed the Act, granting employees in New York City up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year.  For employees not eligible for paid leave, the Act provides up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave per year.  The Act goes into effect on April 1, 2014, for employers with at least 20 employees, and coverage expands on October 1, 2015, to employers with at least 15 employees.  New York joined Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C., in a growing trend toward providing paid leave to employees.  The Act is projected to provide an estimated one million workers with up to five paid sick days annually.
The article covers the following provisions of the Earned Sick Leave Act:
  • Which Employers Are Covered?
  • Which Employees Are Eligible for Coverage?
  • What Are Employer Obligations?
  • Are there Exemptions and/or Exceptions?
  • What Are the Enforcement Mechanisms and Penalties?
  • Next Steps for Employers

Full Article: Four Years in the Making - New York Passes Earned Sick Leave Act