New York Paid Family Leave Its Coming!

New York Paid Family Leave Its Coming Just a few weeks ahead of the New York state primaries, the legislature broke some momentous news on March 31 that will impact millions of families in New York. The news was so good that we nearly had to pause, and double check it wasnt an early April Fools Day jokeNew York state will become one of 5 states (joining California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington though Washington has never actually implemented its law) that has passed paid family leave in the U.S. Moreover, New York is leading the pack by offering the fruchtwein generous policies in the country.If youre wondering what paid family leave means, well break it down for you. It means that you will receive some amount of money when and if you ever need to take a leave of absence from work due to any of the following 3 reasons (1) having (or adopting) a baby (2) because you need to take care of a sick member of your family or (3) because a family members military service creates a need for you to spend some time away from your work.If you dont know why this is so groundbreaking, the background context is that the United States is one of only a handful of countries in the world without federally paid maternity (much less, parental) leave in the world. Under the federal law, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) certain employees of companies that employe more than 50 people and meet other qualifications such as tenure have the right to unpaid parental leave of up to 12 weeks and job protection during that time if they return to work within that period of time. Under FMLA, an employee may take time off to care for an ill family member or newborn, but the financial reality is that fruchtwein people cannot afford not to work for that long. 12 weeks off with no pay is simply economically unfeasible for the vast majority of American workers. Moreover, many employees of small businesses dont receive FMLA protection because their employers arent large enough for them to qualify.Without federal protections, states have passed maternity and parental leave laws, making it possible for workers to raise and take care of families (as well as earn a living). New York is joining California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington state in providing state-mandated paid family leave. Washington state passed a law but it has never been implemented. In the other states cases, California and New Jersey offer 6 weeks of paid family paid leave (up to a weekly cap), while Rhode Island offers 4 weeks of partially paid family leave (again, up to a weekly cap).To add to the matrix of federal of state family leave protections, many large private employerspick up the slack where the law doesnt offer much. Companies offer paid leave or take out short-term disability insurance policies for employees (i.e. usually intended for pregnant, female employees) in order to give workers financial protection after they have children. These policies often do not cover men, domes tic partners, or other family care-taking responsibilities, though employer policies vary greatly (weve tried to provide some semblance of a summary through our parental leave and maternity leave database).If youre currently expecting, it may be premature to departure celebrating (on behalf of yourself, anyway). The caveat to the New York state law is that it doesnt kick in until 2018. And when it does, it will gradually phase in in terms of the amount of paid coverage. In the first year, employees will be able to take 8 weeks of leave per year, followed by 10 weeks in 2019 and 12 weeks in 2021. Capped at 2/3 of New York states average weekly wage, workers will receive some percentage of their take-home salary (not 100%). That said, having some amount of money after childbirth or an illness in the family can mean a world of difference for the states most financially vulnerable families.Its certainly something worth toasting to this weekendFairygodboss is committed to improving the w orkplace and lives of women. Join us by reviewing your employer