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!
As of 2023, the list of family members for whom eligible workers can take Paid Family Leave to care for includes 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.
Read on to learn how Paid Family Leave may be able to help you and your family in 2024.
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.)
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 2024, the NYSAWW is $1,718.15, which means the maximum weekly benefit is $1,151.16. This is $20.08 more than the maximum weekly benefit for 2023 .
Employees can get an estimate of their benefits using the PFL 2024 Benefits Calculator.
| Worker's Average Weekly Wage | Weekly PFL Benefit* |
|---|---|
| $600 | $402 |
| $1,000 | $670 |
| $2,000 | $1,151.16 |
*The weekly PFL benefit is capped at $1,151.16 (67% of the NYSAWW).
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:
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.
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 2024, employees will contribute 0.373% of their gross wages per pay period. The maximum annual contribution for 2024 is $333.25. This is $66.18 less than 2023 .
Employees earning less than the current NYSAWW of $1,718.15 will contribute less than the annual cap of $333.25, consistent with their actual wages .
Here are some contribution and benefit examples at different income levels:
Employees can get an estimate of their deductions using the PFL 2024 Payroll Deduction Calculator.
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.
How many weeks of Paid Family Leave are available to employees?
Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave.
How much will employees get paid when taking Paid Family Leave?
Employees taking Paid Family Leave in 2024 will get 67% of their average weekly wage, up to a cap of 67% of the current NYSAWW of $1,718.15.
What is the maximum weekly benefit?
The maximum weekly benefit for 2024 is $1,151.16.
If I start my continuous leave in one year and it extends into the next, what will my benefit rate be ?
You get the benefit rate in effect on the first day of your leave.
If I start my intermittent leave in 2023, and it extends into 2024, am I eligible for the benefits at the 2024 rate?
You get the benefit rate in effect on the first day of a period of leave. When more than three months pass between days of Paid Family Leave, your next day or period of Paid Family Leave is considered a new claim under the law. This means you will need to file a new request for Paid Family Leave and that you may be eligible for the increased benefits available should that day or period of Paid Family Leave begin in 2024.
I am having a baby in 2023; can I wait until 2024 to take Paid Family Leave?
Yes, you can take (and must complete) Paid Family Leave for bonding with a new child at any time within the first 12 months of the child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement, provided that you remain an eligible, covered employee.
I used all 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave in the last year; can I take more Paid Family Leave this year if I experience another qualifying event?
You may take up to 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave in every 52-week period based on a rolling calendar . This means that if you used the full 12 weeks of leave, the next time you would be eligible to take Paid Family Leave again is one year from your first day of leave.
What is the weekly employee contribution rate?
If you are paid weekly , the payroll contribution is 0.373% of your gross weekly wages and is capped at an annual maximum of $333.25. If your gross weekly wages are less than the NYSAWW ($1,718.15 per week), you will have an annual contribution amount less than the annual cap of $333.25, consistent with your actual wages .
For example, if you earn about $27,000 a year ($519 a week), you will contribute about $1.94 per week.
If you are not paid weekly, the payroll contribution will be 0.373% of your gross wages for the pay period.
What is the maximum amount employees will pay for Paid Family Leave?
The maximum employee contribution for 2024 is $333.25.
On March 31, 2023, New York updated the NYSAWW. When does this NYSAWW take effect for Paid Family Leave deduction and benefit caps?
The new NYSAWW only applies to the 2024 benefit and will not affect Paid Family Leave deductions or benefits until January 1, 2024, if leave was begun on or after that date. The new NYSAWW does not have any impact on Paid Family Leave benefits in 2023.
What is the NYSAWW that will be used for Paid Family Leave benefits in 2024?
$1,718.15
There are several resources to help employers understand and communicate New York Paid Family Leave benefit updates to their employees.
