New York State Paid Family Leave

**26 weeks within a 52-week period is the combined maximum duration of the following leaves: Short-Term Disability, New York Paid Family Leave, Workers’ Compensation disability leave.**

New York State Paid Family Leave (“PFL”) provides eligible employees (who live or physically work in New York State) with wage replacement during time away from work to:

1. Bond with the employee’s new child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth, or the first 12 months after the child’s placement for adoption or foster care with the employee.
2. Provide care for a family member with a serious illness. The definition of family member includes a biological or legal relationship and in “loco parentis” in definitions of child and parent. These include:
   • spouse/domestic partner
   • child (no age limit)
   • parent and parent-in-law
   • siblings (including biological siblings, adopted siblings, step-siblings and half-siblings)
   • grandparent of employee
   • grandchild (child of employee’s child)
3. Participate in “qualifying exigencies” as defined in federal Family and Medical Leave Act due to a spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent’s active duty military service or notice of a call or order to active duty. Qualifying exigencies include:
   • attending certain military events
   • arranging for alternative childcare
   • caring for a military member’s parent who is incapable of self-care when the care is necessitated by the member’s covered active duty
   • addressing certain financial and legal arrangements
   • attending certain counseling sessions
   • attending post-deployment reintegration briefings

PFL may be taken on a continuous or intermittent basis (in full-day increments only).

If an eligible employee experiences an event that qualifies for leave under both Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) and New York Paid Family Leave (PFL), both leaves will run concurrently.

PFL does not apply to an employee’s own serious health condition.

Benefit payments for PFL will be initiated by Reliance Matrix and sent directly to the employee.

How to File a Leave of Absence or Disability Claim (PDF)

PFL Benefit Amount and Payment Schedule

In 2026 the PFL benefit is 67% of the employee’s Average Weekly Wage, not to exceed 67% of the New York State Average Weekly Wage, for a maximum of 12 weeks. The New York State Average Weekly Wage in 2026 is $1,833.63. As such, 67% will be a maximum of $1,228.53 per week.

Employee Contributions

Beginning January 1, 2026, the NY PFL rate will be reduced to 0.432% of gross wages per pay period. This means that an employee's 2026 annual deduction will not exceed $411.91.

For a newly hired employee, the deduction will begin immediately with their first paycheck..

Eligibility

• Full-time employees: If an employee works a regular work schedule of 20 or more hours per week, he or she is eligible to apply for PFL after 26 consecutive weeks of employment.
• Part-time employees: If an employee works a regular work schedule of less than 20 hours per week, he or she is eligible to apply for PFL after working 175 days (actual work days regardless of number of hours worked per day).

This policy does not apply to students, independent contractors, consultants, and other non-employees.

Waiving PFL Coverage

An employee can only opt out of Paid Family Leave if he or she does not expect to work for the minimum amount of time required for eligibility. If an employee meets this criteria and wishes to opt out, he or she may do so by completing a PFL waiver (PDF). A waiver of family leave benefits may be filed when:

• An employee’s schedule is 20 hours or more per week, but he or she will not work 26 consecutive weeks; or
• An employee’s schedule is less than 20 hours per week and he or she will not work 175 days in a 52 consecutive week period.

The PFL Waiver form must be returned to the University Benefits office.

Please note that if an employee waives coverage:

• The deduction will cease on the first payroll following receipt of the PFL Waiver form. Deductions already processed will not be refunded.
• And subsequently becomes eligible for New York PFL, he or she will be subject to retroactive premium payments from January 1st of the calendar year in which he or she became eligible.

How to File a Claim

Please contact the University Benefits office, on or before your first day of absence, to discuss the expected duration of your PFL leave. In addition, please contact Reliance Matrix at 1 (877) 202-0055, to file a PFL claim. To ensure that your claim is processed in a timely manner, please contact Reliance Matrix at least 30 days in advance of your leave start date, if possible. Please ensure that your chairperson is notified as well.

• Reliance Matrix - How to File a Leave of Absence or Disability Claim (PDF)
• Reliance Matrix Poster – How to File a Short-Term Disability or FMLA Claim (PDF)
• Employee Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (PDF)

Please access the NYS Paid Family Leave site for further information.