Millions of New York City workers will receive expanded time-off protections under amendments to the city’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, effective Feb. 22.
NYC’s ESSTA requires most employers to provide between 40 and 56 hours of paid safe and sick leave annually. The law allows employees to use the paid time off for personal illness, medical appointments or care for family members.
The legislation, sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, was passed by the council in October 2025.
It requires employers in NYC to provide workers with an additional 32 hours of unpaid, protected time off, which is available immediately upon hiring and at the beginning of each new benefit year.
Employers are also required to provide workers with written notice of their rights and are prohibited from retaliating against employees who use protected leave time.
Previously, employees had to accumulate paid time off over months before being able to use it. This change will allow workers to address emergencies without fearing job loss or having to choose between family and paychecks.
“Legislation that will expand what workers can use paid time off for in our city, will expand it such that a worker can use paid time off to take care of a child or a loved one with a disability,” NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
The city will send compliance warnings to 56,000 businesses and conduct audits to ensure workers get the time off they’re entitled to, according to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection commissioner Sam Levine said.
For some workers, the new law addresses urgent challenges. Michael Lebron, an Amazon packer and single father, told the mayor that doctors found nodules on his lungs. Because it was early in the year, he did not have enough paid time off to cover his full shift, forcing him to postpone his appointments.
“In the beginning, they’ll give us seven hours of [paid time off] and I work 10-hour shifts, so it doesn’t even cover the whole shift,” Lebron said. He expressed hope that the new law will make it easier to seek care.
In response to the legislation, an Amazon spokesperson said the company complies with all federal and local laws and “will ensure we meet the requirements of this law.”
The expansion of the ESSTA also comes with other employment law changes. This includes when the minimum wage for NYC, Long Island and Westchester County increased to $17 per hour on Jan. 1.
Additionally, the state is expanding Paid Family and Medical Leave protections, requiring health care employers to have a workplace violence prevention plan, annual harassment training and notice requirements for worker restoration protections.
These measures represent more than a legislation update; they expand worker protections and address many New Yorkers’ concerns.
