New York Employees Entitled to Paid Time Off for COVID-19 Vaccines

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Earlier this month, Governor Cuomo approved a law that all  New York employers  must provide employees with up to four hours of paid time off for each COVID-19 vaccination. The new law became effective on the date signed, March 12, 2021.

The new law provides:

  1. All New York employees must receive a paid leave of absence for up to four hours for each COVID-19 vaccination. In other words, some employees may be entitled to up to eight hours of paid time off to receive a vaccine that requires two injections;

  2. Employees must be paid at their regular rate of pay; and

  3. Dealers cannot require employees to use any other available leave (sick, vacation, personal time) when providing this leave.

This new law prohibits discrimination or retaliation against any employee who exercises their right to be paid for time off to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Best practices for dealers:

  1. Communicate this new entitlement to your employees;

  2. Ensure employees know that they are not required to use accrued sick, vacation, or personal time off to receive paid time off for a COVID-19 vaccination; and

  3. Remind managers that they should not discriminate or retaliate against employees who use this leave.

If your dealership has a CBA, you must review it and determine if any carveouts regarding this leave apply to your dealership.

This new law is set to expire on December 31, 2022.
 
GNYADA thanks Jackson Lewis for their contribution to this article.

If you have any questions about paid time off for vaccines, please call the Dealer Hotline at 718.746.5900.