Covered Leaves and Durations
| Leave Type | Covered Leave | Maximum Leave Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Child Bonding | Paid Family Leave can be taken to bond with a new child within 12 months of the child's birth, adoption or foster placement. | 12 weeks |
| Family | Employees can take Paid Family Leave to care for a close family member with a serious health condition, including family members outside of New York State. | 12 weeks |
| Military Family Support | Employees can take Paid Family Leave to assist with family situations arising when a family member is on active service in a foreign country or has been notified of an impending call or order of active service to a foreign country. | 12 weeks |
One's Own Serious Health Condition
Employees can’t use New York Paid Family Leave for their own disability or for a military event.
They may be able to use the state's Disability Benefits Law. This program provides employees with income replacement for a disability that happened off the job.
Weekly Benefit Amount
Benefits are 67% of the employee’s wages up to a maximum of $1,131.08 per week in 2023. The maximum is 67% of the statewide weekly wage of $1,688.19, based on the employee annual wage cap of $87,785.88.
Waiting Period
There is no waiting period for Paid Family Leave. Benefits are payable as of the first day of covered leave.
Intermittent Leaves
Employees can take their leave all at once or on an intermittent basis, but must take the leave in full-day increments.
All information on this page is subject to change as state requirements change.
Covered Employees
Most workers employed by private employers in New York state are covered under PFL.
However, some categories of workers are excluded from the definition of “employee” and “employment” under the Paid Family Leave law.
| Covered | Not Covered |
|---|---|
|
|
Self-employed individuals and independent contractors can opt in but are required to purchase a policy for both Paid Family Leave and DBL. They cannot opt in for Paid Family Leave alone.
Family Members
Covered employees may take family leave to care for:
- Spouse
- Domestic partner
- Child, stepchild and foster child
- Parent and stepparent
- Parent-in-law
- Grandparent
- Grandchild
- Siblings (biological, adopted, half-sibling or stepsibling)
On Jan. 1, 2023, the the definition of family member for NY PFL expanded to include siblings and will include a biological or adopted sibling, a half-sibling or stepsibling.
All information on this page is subject to change as state requirements change.
Plan Options
With the adoption of the PFL law, any insurance carrier who offered DBL coverage was required to add PFL coverage to that DBL policy. Employers who are self-insured for New York Disability Benefits Law may purchase a separate Paid Family Leave policy or apply to the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board to self-insure.
The Standard can help you meet or exceed the requirements for a private plan. Learn more about our leave management services.
Funding
Employee payroll deductions fund the program.
| 2023 Contributions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Premium Rate/Employee Contribution | 0.455% of the employee's taxable wage base | |
| Maximum Annual Employee Contribution | $399.43 (10% reduction over the last year) | |
Additional Information Employers Need to Know
Most private employers with one or more employees working in New York are subject to New York’s Paid Family Leave and must:
- Obtain PFL coverage and pay for it using employee contributions
- Collect employee contributions and provide waivers to employees who qualify to opt out of PFL
- Complete the employer portion of the PFL request form when workers apply for leave
Employers are exempt from offering NY PFL if:
- Out-of-state employees only occasionally visit New York for work
- They are located outside the state, and they have employees who live in New York but work outside the state
More Information
Visit New York's Paid Family Leave Insurance page to learn more about New York's PFL.
If you'd like to see how we can help you comply with leave laws, check out our leave management services. We offer both absence management and benefits administration so you can focus your time where you need it most.
All information on this page is subject to change as state requirements change.
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, expanded definitions of qualified family members include siblings. Siblings who qualify for care for under the PFL program include biological siblings, adopted siblings, step-siblings and half-siblings—regardless of where the sibling resides (i.e., the sibling can live outside of New York State and even outside of the United States).
New York has raised the maximum paid family leave from 10 weeks to 12 weeks per 52-week period.
Calculate PFML Benefits
Use this calculator with your employees to help them get a quick estimate of their PFML benefit amounts.
