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2023 NEW YORK'S PAID FAMILY LEAVE

 

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Overview

Since first launching in 2018, New York State Paid Family Leave has provided critical benefits to improve the lives of tens of thousands of working New Yorkers and their families. After a successful four-year phase-in, New York State Paid Family Leave benefits remain at their target levels, while enhancements are ongoing!

In 2023, the list of family members for whom eligible workers can take Paid Family Leave to care for will include siblings with a serious health condition. This includes biological siblings, adopted siblings, stepsiblings and half-siblings. These family members can live outside of New York State, and even outside of the country. Workers should check with their employer’s Paid Family Leave insurer to learn when sibling care goes into effect for their policy.

Up to 12 Weeks of Leave

New York State Paid Family Leave provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of job protected, paid time off to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, or to assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service. This time can be taken all at once, or in increments of full days.

Paid Family Leave may also be available in some situations when an employee or their minor, dependent child is under an order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19. (See the COVID-19 quarantine leave page for full details.)

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At 67% of pay (up to a cap)

Employees taking Paid Family Leave receive 67% of their average weekly wage, up to a cap of 67% of the current New York State Average Weekly Wage (NYSAWW). For 2023, the NYSAWW is $1,688.19, which means the maximum weekly benefit is $1,131.08. This is $62.72 more than the maximum weekly benefit for 2022.

 Paid Family Leave Benefits Examples for 2023

Worker's Average Weekly                  WageWeekly PFL Benefit (2020)*

          $600                                                                   $402

          $1,000                                                                $670

          $2,000                                                                $1,131.08

*The weekly PFL benefit is capped at 60% of the New York State average weekly wage,

which is $1,131.08 (67% of the NYSAWW).

Same strong protections.

Employees can take leave to care for their family members knowing New York has their backs. With some of the nation’s strongest worker protections, New York State Paid Family Leave guarantees that:

• Employees have job protection, ensuring they can return to the same job (or a comparable one) when they return from Paid Family Leave.

• Employees can keep their health insurance while on leave on the same terms they had while working.

• Employers are prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against employees for requesting or taking Paid Family Leave.

And as New York continues to look out for some of our most vulnerable workers, citizenship is never a factor in eligibility for New York Paid Family Leave.

Fully-funded by employees

(at a lower rate than last year!)

New York State Paid Family Leave is insurance that may be funded by employees through payroll deductions. Even though benefits are expanding to cover more family members this year, the contribution rate has gone down. For 2023, employees will contribute 0.455% of their gross wages per pay period. The maximum annual contribution for 2023 is $399.43. This is $24.28 less than 2022.

Employees earning less than the current NYSAWW of $1,688.19 will contribute less than the annual cap of $399.43, consistent with their actual wages.

Here are some contribution and benefit examples at different income levels:

1. Employees earning $519 a week (about $27,000 a year) will pay about $2.36 of their gross wages each week: $519 x 0.455%. When taking the benefit, these employees will receive $347.73 per week, up to a maximum total benefit of $4,172.76.

2. Employees earning $1,000 a week ($52,000 a year) will pay $4.55  of their gross wages each week: $1,000 x 0.455%. When taking the benefit, these employees will receive $670 per week, up to a maximum total benefit of $8,040.

3. Employees earning the NYSAWW of $1,688.19 (about $87,000 a year) or more will pay 0.455% x their gross wages each pay period until they reach the maximum of $399.43. When taking the benefit, these employees will receive $1,131.08 per week, up to a maximum total benefit of $13,572.96.

For more information or assistance on Paid Family Leave, see the frequently asked questions and employer resources, below. You can also call the Paid Family Leave Helpline at (844) 337-6303 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.