Mayor Signs NYC Sick Leave Law

On March 20, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the Earned Sick Time Act, which requires most private employers in the City to provide up to 40 hours of sick leave a year. Employers with five or more employees must provide paid leave; at smaller employers, the leave may be unpaid.

The Act takes effect on April 1. Current employees must receive formal notice of the Act's provisions by May 1. New employees thereafter must receive notice when they start. The City's Department of Consumer Affairs, which will be responsible for administering the law, has published a template notice on its website. According to Crain's New York Business, the DCA also intends to begin "a massive public education campaign in the coming weeks, including advertising in the subways and door-to-door campaigning to distribute educational materials in multiple languages."

For a detailed summary of the Act, see our previous Management Alert.

In anticipation of the April 1 effective date, employers with New York City operations should determine whether their leave policies are in compliance with the Act or need to be revised. Employers should also prepare compliant notice materials and recordkeeping forms where necessary.