Employment, Benefits & Labor

As we reported in August 2013 and January 2014, New York City's Earned Sick Time Act went into effect on April 1, 2014. The Act generally requires that covered employers provide employees with up to forty hours of paid sick time in a calendar year. Amendments signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio shortly before the Act's effective date expanded the definition of a covered "employer" to include any company with five or more employees who work in New York City for at least 80 hours during a calendar year. The amendments also modified the leave accrual schedule for exempt employees and broadened the qualifying reasons for employees to use their accrued sick leave.

As part of its implementation, the Act requires covered employers to send existing employees written notice their rights under the Act by May 1, 2014. The notice must be in English and also in the employee's primary language, if such a version of the notice is available from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. New employees must receive the notice at the start of employment. Copies of the required notice are posted on the Department of Consumer Affairs' website.