The minimum wage increases in New York and a new leave law for 2021 also comes into force.
New York is one of 15 states with a paid sick leave law, and workers can use sick leave to recover from an illness, care for a sick relative, or seek help from themselves or a family member for domestic violence, assault. sexual harassment, trafficking or human trafficking.
According to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers did not have access to sick leave before the law, and nearly 1 in 4 workers reported being fired or threatened with sick leave for being ill .
“No one should have to choose between going to work sick or caring for a sick loved one and not receiving any payroll, especially because we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Employees of most companies can start using the sick days that the new law allowed them to start accumulating in September, at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Any unused medical leave must be reported the following year.
Companies with more than 100 employees must provide workers with up to 56 hours (equivalent to seven days) of paid sick leave each year. This decreases to 40 hours (five days) in most companies from five to 99 employees.
Employees of companies with less than four employees and a net income of less than $ 1 million must provide up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave each year.
And the minimum hourly wage is now $ 14 an hour in Long Island and Westchester under changes that went into effect Wednesday. Salary in the rest of New York has risen to $ 12.50 from $ 11.80.
New York gradually began raising the state-wide minimum wage by $ 15 in 2016 and New York City reached $ 15 in 2018 and 2019.
The minimum wage will continue to rise each year in the rest of the state until it reaches $ 15. The state labor commissioner will announce the next increase on October 1 at a rate based on the consumer price index.
Minimum wage increases are unlikely to substantially harm the economic recovery of Long Island, Westchester and New York from the global pandemic, according to State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon in a mid-December report. Unemployment rates fell from the April high of 15.9% in Long Island and Westchester and 15.4% in the north, to 7.1% and 6.8% in October.
“Before this crisis, we achieved low unemployment rates while raising the minimum wage, improving the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, and rebuilding our economy while continuing to lead the nation in the fight for economic justice,” he said. to say. This investment in our workers proves once again that in New York we believe that a fair working day deserves a fair wage. ”