June 14, 2018
Online Informational Sessions Help Parents Use the Nation's Strongest Family Leave Law
To honor Father’s Day, New York today announced a new series of Paid Family Leave webinars to help employees understand their rights and use New York's landmark Paid Family Leave benefit, which Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law in April, 2016. The webinars explain how eligible, working New Yorkers can take job-protected, paid time off to bond with a child who was born, fostered or adopted within the last 12 months; care for a sick family member; or assist when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service.
"New York has the strongest Paid Family Leave policy in the nation, and it's important for New Yorkers to understand their rights to use it well," Workers' Compensation Board Chair Clarissa Rodriguez said. "Fathers, especially, should know that Paid Family Leave offers them an equal opportunity to bond with new children and be there when a family member is sick or deployed abroad."
New York will be hosting two webinars on using Paid Family Leave to bond with a child, as well as a more general session that covers all three uses of Paid Family Leave – bonding, caring for a seriously ill family member, and supporting family who are deployed abroad in the military. The webinars are free and open to the public. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. To register:
Bonding Webinars
- Tuesday, June 19, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, June 21, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
General Overview
- Tuesday, July 10, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Additional Paid Family Leave Resources
In addition to webinars, New York State offers complete details on Paid Family Leave at ny.gov/PaidFamilyLeave. More help is available via a toll-free Paid Family Leave Helpline at (844) 337-6303. Both provide resources in languages beyond English.
The new webinars are part of New York's ongoing campaign to educate workers and employers about New York Paid Family Leave, which went into effect on Jan. 1. To date, the state has directly reached tens of thousands of New Yorkers through webinars and other outreach. More than 3 million people have accessed the Paid Family Leave website and more than 81,000 people have received information and assistance through the Paid Family Leave Helpline.
Paid Family Leave is employee-paid insurance that provides job-protected, paid time off from work to employees to care for family. In 2018, it provides up to eight weeks off at half-pay, up to a maximum of $652.96 per week. Benefits rise to 12 weeks at 67% of pay, again to a maximum, by 2021. Retaliation and discrimination are prohibited, and neither citizenship nor immigration status is a factor.
CONTACT: publicinfo@wcb.ny.gov