Under NYC’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, covered employees can use sick leave:
- For diagnosis, care, or treatment of illness, injury, or health condition or for preventive medical care for employee or anyone employee considers family.
- When a public official closes employee’s business or child’s school or child care provider due to a public health emergency.
Employees may be eligible for 2 additional days as unpaid leave under NYC’s Temporary Schedule Change Law. See the Temporary Work Schedule Change page for more information.
Mandatory Quarantine or Isolation
The federal and state governments passed laws to protect workers.
Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The federal law covers businesses with up to 500 full-time and part-time employees. The U.S. Department of Labor can issue regulations exempting certain employers with 50 or fewer employees.
- Full-time employees get up to 2 weeks (80 hours) leave.
- Part-time employees get their average hours for a 2-week work period in leave.
The rate of pay depends on the use.
Full-time and part-time employees get their regular rate of pay up to $511 per day (up to $5,110 total) for:
- Mandatory quarantine or isolation
- Doctor-recommended self-quarantine
- Medical diagnosis due to symptoms of COVID-19
Full-time and part-time employees get 2/3 of their regular rate of pay up to $200 per day (up to $2,000 total) for:
- Care for a family member under mandatory or doctor-recommended self-quarantine
- Care for child due to school or child care facility closing or because child care provider unavailable due to COVID-19
- Any other substantially similar condition as specified by relevant federal agencies
Employees may be eligible for expanded paid or unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
You can get more information from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Visit the U.S. Department of Labor website.
New York State Emergency COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave
The state law covers government-ordered quarantine or isolation only. Where the federal and state laws overlap on mandatory quarantine, the federal law applies. State law applies to the extent it gives employees additional benefits beyond what federal law allows.
Employees get leave for the duration of quarantine or isolation. Rate of pay is based on number of employees and, in some cases, business earnings.
Number of Employees | Business Income | Rate of Pay |
1-10 | Less than $1 million in prior year | Unpaid (all days) |
More than $1 million in prior year | Paid (at least 5 days) Unpaid (remaining days) |
11-99 | Not applicable | Paid (at least 5 days) Unpaid (remaining days) |
100+ | Not applicable | Paid (at least 14 days) |
Learn more about emergency paid sick leave for the coronavirus.
