Overview
- The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection adopted final rules on June 23 that will take effect on July 23, 2026 and implement Local Law No. 145’s changes to the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act.
- Employers must provide an additional 32 hours of protected time off that is immediately available on hire and each calendar year and may meet that obligation by making those hours paid instead of unpaid.
- The rules expand allowable uses of protected time off to include care for disabled household members, attending benefit-related legal proceedings, closures or government orders during public disasters, and seeking help after workplace violence.
- Final paystub and recordkeeping requirements force per-pay-period reporting of accruals, paid versus unpaid use, balances and paid prenatal leave, and require six months’ electronic access for separated employees or a written statement within one week of the final payday.
- DCWP made enforcement clearer by authorizing restoration of hours, $500 payments per affected employee per year and systemic penalties, prompting employers to update policies, payroll systems, HR records and supervisor training to avoid audits and fines.