Paid Sick Leave in New York City: How are workers and families being protected during the COVID-19 pandemic?

New York City has been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 crisis as the epicenter of the virus in the United States. Under these circumstances, paid sick leave is an integral part of the policy response to protect a worker’s health (and that of their colleagues) as well as their paycheck. It also helps workers balance care-taking responsibilities due to family illness or school closures. Though there are existing federal and state laws including the recent emergency measures in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and New York State Senate Bill S8091, many workers continue to lose pay when they stay home from work sick. Using Poverty Tracker data, our results demonstrate that among those who utilized sick leave, 30 percent said they were not paid for the days they took off. This rises to about 60 percent among those in poverty. To have an effective and inclusive sick leave policy, policymakers need to consider coverage for employees at smaller employers, the length of coverage, pay coverage, and coverage for future crises.

Also featured in the NY Daily News: Poor New Yorkers need paid sick leave expansion

The Poverty Tracker is a longitudinal study of the dynamics of poverty and disadvantage in New York City. It is a joint project of Robin Hood and Columbia University.