After more than five years of providing additional quarantine-related leave for COVID-19, beginning July 31, 2025, New York's COVID-19 Paid Emergency Leave (the "Law") will expire, and employers will no longer be required to provide separate leave for COVID-19 quarantines and isolations.
The Law, which was originally enacted in March 2020, requires employers to provide up to 14 days of protected, paid leave to employees who are subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19 and who cannot work remotely. Its leave benefits are separate from other paid sick and safe leave benefits.
Following the expiration of the Law, employees who need time off to manage care for COVID-19 can continue to use other paid leave options, including New York State's Paid Sick Leave, New York City's Earned Sick and Safe Time, or New York Paid Family Leave ("NYPFL") if a family member's condition otherwise meets the definition of a serious health condition under the NYPFL. Employers should likewise note that illness caused by COVID-19 may still trigger obligations under other protected leave and medical accommodation laws, such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the New York Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law.
Takeaways
- New York employers should review and revise their existing policies and employee handbooks to ensure compliance.
- New York employers should consider amending their handbooks to remove any existing policies specifically providing for additional COVID-19 leave beyond leave provided for by other policies (as referenced above).
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