Article · NYC311

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

The State enacted a law providing benefits to workers impacted by mandatory or precautionary orders of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19. If your employer doesn't comply with this law, you have the right to file a complaint.

In addition to reporting any unfair or illegal labor practices, you can also report that:

You're being forced to work for an essential business, but:
- You're being forced to go to work when your job could be performed from home
- Your employer isn't following health and safety mandates
- You're scared because you are over 70 and/or you have an underlying illness.
Your employer has failed to pay you wages owed for hours worked, earned sick pay, or paid time off
You qualify for COVID-19 paid sick leave and your employer refuses to pay it
Your employer has threatened or fired you for reasons related to COVID-19
Your employer is forcing you to work when you're sick

Online

File a complaint against your employer or workplace.

Email

Email the State Attorney General's Labor Bureau at Labor.Bureau@ag.ny.gov.

By Phone

Call the State Attorney General's Labor Bureau at (212) 416-8700.

Need something else?

Unemployment Insurance

You can get information about laws that apply to workers and their employers.

You can make a complaint against your employer for unfair or illegal practices.

Online

Get information about labor laws.

Report unfair or illegal labor practices.

File a Claim for Unpaid Wages.

By Phone

Agency: New York State Department of Labor
Division: Division of Labor Standards Local Office
Phone Number: (888) 469-7365
Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Staff is available through the automated phone system during business hours. Call volume is often high. If you don't get through, call back later.

Under NYC’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, covered employees can use sick leave:

For diagnosis, care, or treatment of illness, injury, or health condition or for preventive medical care for employee or anyone employee considers family.
When a public official closes employee’s business or child’s school or child care provider due to a public health emergency.
To recover from side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.
To take a child to get the COVID-19 vaccine or to care for a child recovering from side effects of the vaccine

Employees may be eligible for 2 additional days as unpaid leave under NYC’s Temporary Schedule Change Law. See the Temporary Work Schedule Change page for more information.

Special Leave for Vaccination

Worker Vaccination

All private and public sector workers in New York State get up to 4 hours per vaccine injection, for a total of up to 8 hours.

This state law is effective from March 12, 2021 through December 31, 2022.

Visit the New York State Department of Labor's website.

Workers should use Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccinations to get vaccinated. It is in addition to accrued leave under State or City Paid Sick Leave Laws. New York State’s Paid Sick Leave Law took effect September 30, 2020. Workers may use accrued leave under City law to recover from side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. Leave may also be covered by State law.

Child Vaccination

As of December 24, 2021, workers have additional leave under NYC’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law to:

Take kids to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Care for kids experiencing side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.

Workers get four additional hours of sick leave for each child and each vaccine injection.

Dedicated sick leave for child vaccination is effective through December 31, 2022.

Learn more about NYC's Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law.

Mandatory Quarantine or Isolation

New York State Emergency COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave

This state law covers government-ordered quarantine or isolation only.

Note: Workers who need an order of quarantine or isolation (COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Documentation) to give their employers can contact the NYC Department of Health.

Employees get leave for the duration of quarantine or isolation. Rate of pay is based on number of employees and, in some cases, business earnings.

Number of Employees	Business Income	Rate of Pay
1-10	Less than $1 million in prior year	Unpaid (all days)
1-10	More than $1 million in prior year	Paid (at least 5 days) Unpaid (remaining days)
11-99	Not applicable	Paid (at least 5 days) Unpaid (remaining days)
100+	Not applicable	Paid (at least 14 days)

Employees may qualify for COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave for up to 3 orders of quarantine or isolation.

Employees can use Paid Family Leave or disability benefits for the mandatory quarantine or isolation period not covered by sick days paid directly by their employer.

Exception: Workers who voluntarily travel to states designated as high risk cannot access state paid sick leave benefits or other paid benefits under the law.

Learn more about emergency paid sick leave for COVID-19.

Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The federal law was effective from April 2, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

You can learn about current federal protections during the pandemic from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Visit the U.S. Department of Labor website.

As of December 31, 2019, the minimum wage for workers in New York City is $15 per hour for all businesses.

For all workers in New York State, the minimum wage is set to rise to $15 by December 31, 2021.

If the Federal minimum wage increases above the State minimum wage, the State wage will rise accordingly.

Learn more about New York State minimum wage laws.

You can also get help with Unpaid Wage Recovery.

You can get information about New York State's Paid Family Leave Law.

This law provides New Yorkers with job-protected, paid leave to bond with a new child, care for a loved one with a serious health condition, or to help relieve family pressures when someone is called to active military service abroad.

Online

Get information about Paid Family Leave.

By Phone

Agency: New York State Department of Labor
Division: Paid Family Leave Helpline
Phone Number: (844) 337-6303
Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Labor Law

COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave

Minimum Wage

Paid Family Leave