New York City Adds Paid Leave for Child COVID-19 Vaccinations

In ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, NYC has added paid time off for parents to get their children a COVID-19 vaccine under the NYC Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law.

New York City dealers must now allow employees to take up to four hours of paid leave per child under the age of 18, per vaccine injection or to care for their child if they experience any side effects from the vaccine.

NYC Dealers may require reasonable notice of the need to use COVID-19 child vaccination time. Dealers can also require the employee to provide documentation showing the employee’s child has received a COVID-19 vaccine injection.

The COVID-19 child vaccination leave must be in addition to any existing sick leave provided to the employee as well as the leave the employee is entitled to under New York State law for their own vaccination. Moreover, employers cannot require the employee to work additional hours to make up for the time missed or to find a replacement to cover the employee’s shift.

If an employer fails to compensate an employee for COVID-19 child vaccination time, the employee is entitled to three times the wages that should have been paid or $250, whichever is greater. If the leave is denied or charged against existing paid time off, the employee is entitled to $500.

This new leave is retroactive to November 2. This means that dealers must pay an employee for any COVID-19 child vaccination time already used, going back to November 2.

This new leave is temporary and is set to expire on December 31, 2022.

If you have any questions about this Dealer Bulletin or any other issues, call GNYADA's Dealer Hotline at 718.746.5900.

December 31, 2021