COVID-19 Paid-Emergency Leave Law Sunsetted
This marks a significant shift in pandemic-related employment policies for businesses in the Empire State. This is a major shift in employment policies in the Empire State. Employers are required to provide up to 14 days of paid, protected leave to employees who have been placed under a mandatory or preventative order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19 and who cannot work from home. PEL is only applicable to COVID-19. Its paid leave benefits are in addition to or separate from other paid sick and safe time benefits, including New York State’s Paid Sick and Safe Leave Law, New York City Earned Sick and Safetime Law, and New York State Paid Family Leave Law. Governor Hochul signed New York State’s Budget for 2024-2025 on April 24, 2024. This Budget includes a sunset provision for PEL, a measure that many employers and lawmakers believed was long overdue. The impending repeal of PEL will require employers to comply with other paid sick leave and safe leave benefits. Employers are reminded that the impending repeal of PEL will not affect their obligations to provide paid sick and safe leave benefits.
