November 7, 2019
Online Informational Session Helps Working New Yorkers Use the Nation's Strongest Family Leave Law When a Spouse, Domestic Partner, Child or Parent is Called to Active Service Abroad
To honor Military Family Month, New York State today announced a new resource to help employees understand their rights and use New York's landmark Paid Family Leave to assist families when a member of the military is deployed. A detailed webinar will explain how eligible, working New Yorkers can take job-protected, paid time off when a spouse, domestic partner, child or parent is called to active military service abroad. It also touches on the other qualifying events Paid Family Leave can be used for, which include bonding with a child within 12 months of the child being born, adopted or fostered, as well as caring for a family member with a serious health condition.
"The members of our military aren't the only ones who make sacrifices when they're called to serve," Workers' Compensation Board Chair Clarissa Rodriguez said. "Spouses, partners, children and parents also make tremendous sacrifices when the ones they love leave home for extended periods of time. New York Paid Family Leave is here to help ease the burdens our military families face before, during and after a deployment abroad."
The webinar will be presented on November 12, from noon - 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. Register here.
Additional Paid Family Leave Resources
The webinar for military families is part of New York's ongoing campaign to educate workers and employers about New York Paid Family Leave, which went into effect on January 1, 2018. In addition to webinars, New York State offers complete details on Paid Family Leave at PaidFamilyLeave.ny.gov. Help is also available via a toll-free Paid Family Leave Helpline at (844) 337-6303. Both provide resources in languages other than English.
Paid Family Leave is employee-funded insurance that provides job-protected, paid time off from work to employees to care for family. In 2019, it provides up to 10 weeks off at 55% of an employee's pay, up to a maximum of $746.41 per week. In 2020, eligible employees can take up to 10 weeks off at 60% of their pay, up to a maximum of $840.70. Benefits will continue to rise until 2021, when Paid Family Leave is fully phased in, at which time eligible employees will be able to take up 12 weeks at 67% of pay, up to a cap. Retaliation and discrimination are prohibited, and neither citizenship nor immigration status is a factor in employee eligibility.
CONTACT: publicinfo@wcb.ny.gov