New York · Paid Sick Leave · Updated April 2026

40 / 56 hours sick leave — depending on employer size.

New York Labor Law § 196-b requires every employer to provide paid sick leave to all employees: 40 hours per year for employers with 5-99 employees; 56 hours per year for employers with 100+ employees. Smaller employers (1-4 employees) provide 40 hours of unpaid sick leave (or paid if net income > $1M). Workers accrue at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, or employers can frontload at start of year.

5-99 employees
40 hrs paid
100+ employees
56 hrs paid
Authority
NYLL § 196-b
Active

NY State Paid Sick Leave

Tracks PSL accrual per employee at 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Caps annual usage based on employer size (40 or 56 hours). Carryover required up to applicable cap. Auto-routes to NYC ESSTA for NYC workers.

Flag · accrual on every payroll period
Avoid · denying valid PSL request without legitimate basis
Always running

What the rule does at hire, accrual, and use.

The hero card configuration: Flag on accrual, Avoid on denials. Here's what each does at runtime.

Flag · accrual per payroll period

On every payroll close, accrued PSL hours are added to the worker's balance — 1 hour per 30 worked. Balance shown on every wage statement (§ 196-b(4) disclosure).

Avoid · denying valid PSL request

When a worker submits a PSL request, Teambridge surfaces eligibility (employed 90+ days OR carryover from prior year) and qualifying reason. Denials require documented legitimate basis — alerts surface for HR review.

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The rule, plainly stated

Two paths: accrue, or frontload. Employer-size determines the cap.

NY's PSL law gives employers two compliant paths to provide the required hours. The choice affects accrual mechanics and carryover, but not the total benefit.

NYLL § 196-b: Every employer shall provide its employees with sick leave as follows: (a) For employers with 100 or more employees in any calendar year, each employee shall receive up to 56 hours of paid sick leave in each calendar year. (b) For employers with between 5 and 99 employees in any calendar year, each employee shall receive up to 40 hours of paid sick leave in each calendar year. (c) For employers with 4 or fewer employees in any calendar year and with a net income of $1,000,000 or less in the previous tax year, each employee shall receive up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave. (d) For employers with 4 or fewer employees in any calendar year and a net income of greater than $1,000,000, each employee shall receive up to 40 hours of paid sick leave. Sick leave shall be provided at a rate of one hour per every 30 hours worked.

Employer-size tier determines the cap

100+ employees: 56 hours/year, paid. 5-99 employees: 40 hours/year, paid. 1-4 employees + net income ≤$1M: 40 hours/year, unpaid. 1-4 employees + net income >$1M: 40 hours/year, paid. The employer-size determination uses average employees across the calendar year.

Accrual model

Workers accrue 1 hour of PSL for every 30 hours worked, beginning on day 1 of employment. Use is allowed after 90 calendar days of employment (or earlier at employer discretion). Annual use cap matches employer-size tier (40 or 56 hours). Unused leave carries over year-to-year.

On autopilot

Teambridge tracks accrual, eligibility, use, and routes NYC workers to ESSTA.

PSL violations are common: misapplied caps, missed eligibility, unclear wage-statement disclosure. Teambridge handles each by structure.

01 · Accrual on every payroll

1 hour per 30 worked.

Each payroll close, hours worked are summed and PSL accrued at 1:30 ratio. Balance updates on every wage statement per § 196-b(4) disclosure requirement.

02 · Eligibility gate at use request

90-day check.

When a worker requests PSL use, Teambridge verifies day-90 eligibility. Pre-eligibility requests can be approved by employer choice but require explicit override.

03 · Cap enforcement

Per employer-size tier.

Annual use is capped at the applicable tier (40 or 56 hours). Workers approaching the cap see notifications. Workers in NYC see ESSTA's expanded entitlements layered on top.

04 · Wage statement disclosure

Balance shown every period.

PSL balance appears on every wage statement under § 196-b(4). Required by structure, not optional.

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FAQ

People also ask.

How much paid sick leave does NY require?
Depends on employer size. 100+ employees: 56 hours/year paid. 5-99 employees: 40 hours/year paid. 1-4 employees with net income ≤$1M: 40 hours/year unpaid. 1-4 employees with net income >$1M: 40 hours/year paid.
When can a worker start using PSL?
After 90 calendar days of employment. Accrual begins day 1, but use must wait until day 90. Employers may permit earlier use. With frontloading, full balance is available immediately.
What's the difference between accrual and frontloading?
Accrual: workers earn PSL at 1 hour per 30 worked, capped at the annual amount. Carryover required. Frontloading: full annual amount available at start of year, resets each year, no carryover required. Both compliant; frontloading is simpler administratively.
What can PSL be used for?
The worker's own physical or mental health (diagnosis, care, treatment, preventive care). Care for family members. Safe leave (issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking). Detailed list in § 196-b(2).
Does NYC have additional sick leave requirements?
Yes. NYC ESSTA provides additional 32 unpaid hours, broader qualifying reasons (workplace violence, public disasters, caregiver responsibilities), and mandatory 20 hours paid prenatal leave. See the NYC ESSTA policy for details.
How does Teambridge track this?
Real-time accrual on every payroll period. Eligibility gate at the 90-day mark. Annual use cap enforced by employer-size tier. NYC workers automatically get ESSTA layered on top. Balance shown on every wage statement per § 196-b(4).