New York Paid Leave for COVID-19

Updated January 26, 2022

In March 2020, New York passed a law that provides wage replacement assistance to eligible New York employees who are unable to work due to their own or their minor child’s COVID-19 quarantine or isolation.

On January 14, 2022, the New York Department of Health (NYDOH) released updated isolation and quarantine guidance and an FAQ. The NYDOH also informed that self-attestation forms (affirmations) for both isolation and quarantine may be used for New York Paid Family Leave COVID-19 claims as if they are individual Orders for Quarantine or Isolation issued by the NYDOH or relevant County Commissioner of Health or designee.

Additional Details

• Employer COVID-19 sick leave requirements:
  • Employers with less than $1M in net income in 2019 and under 10 employees are not required to provide paid sick leave.
  • Most employers with under 100 employees are required to provide 5 days of job-protected paid sick leave.
  • Public employers are required to provide 14 days of job-protected paid sick leave.
  • Private employers with 100 or more employees are required to provide 14 days of job-protected paid sick leave.


• Job-protected paid leave benefits following employer-provided sick leave during an eligible New York employee's own COVID-19 quarantine or isolation:
  • Eligible employees who are unable to work can access special Paid Family Leave (PFL) and Disability Benefits Law (DBL) benefits (“New York COVID-19 Paid Quarantine Leave”) after they have exhausted employer-provided paid sick leave described above if they are the subject of a COVID-19 quarantine or isolation.
  • PFL insurance coverage provides up to 67% of an employee’s pay, up to a maximum weekly benefit of $840.70.
  • Employees with higher weekly wages can also access up to $2,043.92 of DBL.
  • The total maximum New York COVID-19 Paid Quarantine Leave benefit is the lesser of the employee’s regular pay and $2,884.62 per week.


• Job-protected paid leave while an eligible New York employee is caring for a quarantined or isolated minor child:
  • Eligible employees can access PFL up to a maximum of $840.70/week if they are unable to work while they care for their minor children who are under an affirmation or order of quarantine or isolation.


• There is no waiting period for New York COVID-19 Paid Quarantine Leave and for PFL payable for care of an employee’s COVID-19 quarantined or isolated minor child.


• Job protection applies during the quarantine.


• Examples of quarantine or isolation forms are shown here:
  • Affirmation of Quarantine
  • Affirmation of Isolation
  • Mandatory Isolation Order
  • Mandatory Quarantine Order
  • Precautionary Quarantine Order


• Additional details are on the New York state website: paidfamilyleave.ny.gov/COVID19 and coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-contact-tracing.


• Customers and employees with The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York’s DBL/PFL insurance should contact us with questions they may have regarding this new paid leave benefit.
  
  Request forms for taking New York COVID-19 Paid Quarantine Leave or PFL to care for a minor COVID-19 quarantined or isolated minor child are available: Request for COVID-19 Quarantine DB/PFL – Self (Form SCOVID-19) and Request for COVID-19 Quarantine PFL – Child (Form CCOVID-19).