New York State Paid Family Leave and Disability Benefits
The New York State Paid Family Leave (NY PFL) law provides paid leave to employees for bonding, including the birth of a child, or leave related to adoption and foster care obligations prior to the child's placement with the family. It also provides paid leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition, and to assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service.
The New York State Disability Benefits Law (NY DBL) provides weekly cash benefits to individuals employed in New York who cannot work due to an off-the-job injury or illness. Unemployed workers can also receive NY DBL benefits to replace unemployment insurance benefits lost because of illness or injury.
The chart below compares NY PFL and NY DBL.
| NY Disability Benefits Law (NY DBL) | NY Paid Family Leave (NY PFL ) |
Program summary | Provides weekly cash benefits to individuals employed in New York who cannot work due to an off-the-job injury or illness. Unemployed workers can also receive NY DBL benefits to replace unemployment insurance benefits lost because of illness or injury. | Provides paid leave to employees for bonding, including the birth of a child, or leave related to adoption and foster care obligations prior to the child's placement with the family; to care for a family member with a serious health condition; and to assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service. |
Program effective date | 1949 | 2018 |
Employee eligibility requirements | Full-time employees are eligible after completing 4 consecutive weeks of NY employment, unless eligibility was previously satisfied Part-time employees are eligible on the 25th day of regular NY employment, unless eligibility was previously satisfied Prior eligibility transfers when entering new employment | Employees who work 20 or more hours per week for 26 consecutive weeks of employment Employees who work less than 20 hours per week for 175 workdays (need not be consecutive) Eligibility does not transfer when entering new employment |
Covered leave reasons | Employee’s own disability (must be unable to perform work), includes pregnancy. | Bond with a new child (birth, adoption, foster) Care for a family member with a serious health condition Qualifying military exigency for spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent being deployed or on active duty |
Covered relationships | Employee | Child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling |
Employee contribution | 0.50% of the first $120 of employee’s weekly wages, up to $0.60 per week; maximum contribution is $31.20 | 2024 0.373% up to New York State Average Weekly Wage (NYSAWW) of $89,343.80 2025 0.388% up to New York State Average Weekly Wage (NYSAWW) of $91,373.88 |
Employer contribution | Balance of premium cost in excess of maximum employee contribution | None |
Maximum weekly benefit | $170.00 per week | 2024 $1,151.16 per week 2025 $1,177.32 per week |
Maximum benefit duration* | 26 weeks | 12 weeks |
Waiting period | 7 days | None |
Is job protection available? | No | Yes |
Are private plans allowed? | Yes | Yes |
Does Guardian have a product to support? | Yes | Yes |
Tools and resources
Yes. You can find information on the NY DBL program online at www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/DisabilityBenefits/employee-disability-benefits.jsp. You can find information on the NY PFL program at https://paidfamilyleave.ny.gov/.
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