New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the expansion of the state’s fully paid parental leave program, which will cover over 150,000 employees within the state.
The expansion will now offer 12 weeks of full pay parental leave benefits to over 80% of the state’s current workforce.
“No one should have to choose between a paycheck and caring for their newborn child,” Governor Hochul said. “In my State of the State, I put forward a nation-leading proposal to offer fully paid parental leave benefits to New York State employees — and today we are making good on that promise. By extending fully paid parental leave to over 80 percent of State employees, New York is leading by example and providing a critical line of support for hardworking families.”
A recent agreement with the CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association), one of the state’s largest unions, will now provide 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave to over 52,000 employees. Hochul additionally worked with the state’s two other largest unions with pending agreements, the Public Employees Federation (PEF) and the United University Professions (UUP).
The state has been continuously expanding parental and family leave benefits since enacting the Paid Family Leave law in 2016. In 2021, Hochul added additional measures to the law to include caring for a seriously ill sibling.
