What is Paid Family Leave?
Most private employers in New York State with one or more employees are required to obtain Paid Family Leave (PFL) insurance.
Paid Family Leave coverage is typically added as a rider on an employer’s existing disability insurance policy. However, Paid Family Leave does not replace disability benefits coverage.
PFL provides eligible employees job-protected, paid time off to:
- Bond with a newly born, adopted or fostered child,
- Care for a family member with a serious health condition, or
- Assist loved ones when a spouse, domestic partner, child or parent is deployed abroad on active military service.
Employees can’t use PFL for their own serious health conditions.
Employees pay for Paid Family Leave benefits through a small payroll deduction, which is a percentage of their wages up to a cap set annually. Employers may choose to cover the cost themselves.
Benefits of Paid Family Leave
Paid Family Leave provides workers with a portion of their wages, job protection, continued health insurance, and protection from discrimination or retaliation if they need to take time off to bond with their new child, care for a seriously ill family member or help out when someone is deployed on active military service.
