New York City Implements Protected Time Off Law Amendments

The New York City Council enacted amendments to the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, rebranding the legislation as the Protected Time Off Law. The law went into effect on February 22, 2026, and requires all city employers to provide employees with a bank of 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick leave. These hours are available immediately upon hire, refresh annually, and exist in addition to existing paid leave obligations.

Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor of New York City, announced enhanced enforcement plans on February 20. The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is implementing a data-driven approach to identify noncompliance by comparing local employee sick leave usage rates against national benchmarks. The agency has also issued proposed rules for the law's implementation.

The amendments expand protected reasons for leave to include workplace violence, public disasters, public health emergencies, caregiving for care recipients, and matters involving housing or subsistence benefits. Additionally, the law codifies the New York State requirement for 20 hours of paid prenatal leave per 52-week period. Employers are required to distribute an updated Notice of Employee Rights to all current staff by March 24, 2026.