These are the cliff notes. Very succinctly, we've broken down the benefits of Paid Family Leave NY as well as how employees become eligible and what events qualify them to take paid leave. Read on.
Payments
Beneficiaries will eventually be able to collect 67% of their average weekly wage - with a cap at 67% of the current New York State average weekly wage.
| YEAR | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| BENEFIT | 50% | 55% | 60% | 67% |
Amount of leave
Beneficiaries will eventually be able to take 12 weeks of paid leave - but just like the benefits, the length of leave will be phased in over a four-year period.
| YEAR | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| LEAVE (WEEKS) | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 |
Who qualifies for Paid Family Leave?
All employees in the state of New York qualify, provided they meet the following criteria:
- They've been on the job as a full-time employee for at least 26 consecutive weeks with any covered employer.
- The 26 consecutive weeks must be with the same covered employer. In other words, eligibility is not transferrable if employees switch jobs.
- If the employee is not full-time, a part-time employee is eligible after being employed for 175 days.
Events that qualify
There are three types of events that employees can use Paid Family Leave for:
- Bonding with a new child (born, fostered or adopted)
- Caring for a seriously ill family member
- Caring for a family member as a result of a qualifying military leave event
Who qualifies as a family member?
- Child
- Parent
- Spouse
- Domestic partner
- Grandparent
- Grandchild
A civil union partner does not qualify for Paid Family Leave in New York, although it does for similar programs in other states.
