New York City Expands Paid Safe and Sick Time Benefits

Effective February 22, 2026, employers must provide their employees working in NYC with 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick time leave each year, available for use immediately upon hire.  This allotment of unpaid leave is in addition to paid safe and sick time leave that NYC already requires (discussed here).  And it is also in addition to the 20 hours of paid prenatal leave that NYC newly required as of July 2, 2025 (discussed here).  The 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick leave is replenished at the start of each year, which is a 12-month period set by the employer.  The expansion also expanded the reasons that employees can use paid or unpaid safe and sick time in NYC, in cases of public disaster, caregiving, workplace violence incidents, and seeking of subsistence and housing benefits.  As of the date of this article, NYC has not yet published new FAQs to address the new unpaid safe and sick time, but the FAQs are expected to be updated here.  The notice that must be distributed to employees has also not been updated yet, but should be available here once it is published.