End of Year Update

As 2021 comes to a close, we are taking a look back at some of the major developments in New York City and New York state employment law this past year, and a look ahead as to what’s to come in the New Year.  We start our end-of-year retrospective way back in January 2021.

1. New Sick Leave Law Goes into Effect

New York kicked off 2021 with a change to the state’s sick leave policy. Back in April 2020, the state enacted a permanent paid sick leave program requiring all employers to provide job-protected sick leave. The amount of leave time employees can take and whether the leave is paid or unpaid varies based on the size and profitability of the employer. These changes went into effect on January 1, 2021. As employees continue to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, employers should be sure to comply with New York State Department of Labor (“NY DOL”) guidance by giving workers at least four hours of paid leave per vaccine injection. Employers must also permit workers to use accrued sick leave to recover from any vaccine side effects.

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