Employees in New York State Given Leave for Vaccination

In a bid to improve the state’s vaccine rollout, which, like many states, has been hampered by delays, software problems and vaccine skepticism, the New York Governor Cuomo signed state assembly legislation in mid-March granting all public and private employees paid time off to receive Covid-19 vaccinations. According to the language of the bill, employees are eligible for up to four hours of excused leave for each injection they receive. This excused leave does not affect any other accrued leave an employee might have already.

The hope is that providing time off will encourage more people to get vaccinated without fear of using up hard-earned leave time. More recently, the state expanded eligibility to all residents 30 and older, but scheduling problems remain a headache for many. On April 6, the state plans to follow other states in opening eligibility to all residents 16 and older.

Below is more specific information for employees and employers. The law stipulates that:

• Employees are to receive normal pay rate for vaccine appointment leave;
• Employees are granted “a sufficient period of time” to get each injection;
• Employers cannot require employees to use already accrued leave time for vaccinations.