Co-authored by: Robert Whitman, Cameron Smith, John DiNapoli and Zack Sharpe

Earlier today, the New York City Council voted to override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto and re-passed the Earned Sick Time Act.  New York now joins cities including Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Portland, OR in requiring employers to provide sick leave to their workers.

As early as April 2014, most private-sector employers in New York City will be required to provide up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave each year, regardless of whether their employees are full-time, part-time or temporary workers.  Employers with more than 20 employees in the City will be required to provide paid sick leave starting next April.  Eighteen months later, the paid sick leave requirements will expand to reach employers with 15 or more workers.  Employers will have to keep records of sick leave accrued and taken, and will have to provide notice to employees about the Act. 

Employers whose PTO or vacation policies are at least as generous as the Act do not need to offer additional sick time, but all employers should check their policies before next April to ensure compliance. 

For a Q&A on the key aspects of the Act, click [next].