Am I My Sibling’s Keeper? New York’s Paid Family Leave Act Now Says You Can Be
November 2, 2021New York State employers have experience with the State’s Paid Family Leave Act (“PFLA”), which provides employees with up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition. That law became effective in 2018.
On November 1, 2021, N.Y. Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law legislation which expands the definition of “family member” to include siblings. “Sibling” includes a biological or adopted sibling, a half-sibling or stepsibling. The law already covered a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, spouse, or domestic partner, as defined in the law.
The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2022. All employers should update their PFLA policies accordingly.
If you have questions regarding these provisions, or any other aspect of employment law, please contact Thomas B. Wassel at twassel@cullenllp.com or (516) 357-3868, James G. Ryan at jryan@cullenllp.com or (516) 357-3750, or Jennifer A. McLaughlin at jmclaughlin@cullenllp.com or (516) 357-3889.