Working Parents Invited to Free, New Paid Family Leave Webinars

 

A Special Mother's Day Gift

To honor Mother’s Day, New York today announced a new series of Paid Family Leave webinars to help employees understand their rights and take advantage of New York’s landmark Paid Family Leave benefit, which Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law in April, 2016. 

The new webinars explain how eligible working New Yorkers can enroll for job-protected, paid time off to bond with a child who was born, fostered or adopted within the last 12 months. Instruction includes step-by-step direction about how workers apply for and take leave.

"It’s important for New Yorkers to understand their rights under our strongest-in-the-nation Paid Family Leave policy,” Workers’ Compensation Board Chair Clarissa Rodriguez said. “This critical benefit means working parents have the opportunity to welcome and bond with their new children, forming the healthy family relationships we all value.”

The sessions are free and open to the public. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. To register:

Tuesday, May 22, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Register here 

Tuesday, June 5, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Register here 

Tuesday, June 19, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Register here

In addition to webinars, New York State offers complete details on Paid Family Leave at ny.gov/PaidFamilyLeave. More help is available via a toll-free Paid Family Leave Helpline at 844-337-6303. Both provide resources in languages beyond English.

The bonding webinars are part of New York’s ongoing campaign to educate workers and employers about New York Paid Family Leave, which went into effect on Jan. 1. To date, the state has directly reached tens of thousands of New Yorkers through webinars and other outreach. More than 3 million people have accessed the Paid Family Leave website and more than 75,000 people have received information and assistance through the Paid Family Leave Helpline.

Paid Family Leave is employee-paid insurance that provides job-protected, paid time off from work to employees to bond with a new child; care for a seriously ill family member; and assist when a military family member is deployed abroad. In 2018, it provides up to eight weeks off at half-pay, up to a maximum of $652.93 per week. Benefits rise to 12 weeks at 67% of pay, again to a maximum, by 2021. Retaliation and discrimination are prohibited, and neither citizenship nor immigration status is a factor. 

Source: New York State Workers' Compensation Board