Article
9 min read
What is New York’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) in 2025?
PEO
Author
Shannon Ongaro
Last Update
June 13, 2025
Published
June 10, 2025
Key takeaways
- New York's Paid Family Leave (PFL) provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave annually for parental bonding, caregiving, and military family needs.
- Employees fully fund New York's PFL program through payroll deductions, with benefits capped at $1,177.32 USD per week.
- Deel PEO efficiently manages your compliance and HR processes, making adherence to New York’s Paid Family Leave seamless and stress-free.
In the state of New York, employers have to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment and labor regulations. When it comes to family leave, that includes New York’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program.
If you’re new to managing employees in New York, understanding this local law should be a top priority. With Deel’s all-in-one payroll and HR platform, you can streamline payroll, benefits admin, and HR compliance, tailored to New York state requirements.
Here’s what you should know about New York’s paid family leave law.
Understanding New York paid family leave
New York's Paid Family Leave (PFL) program is a state-mandated insurance program that provides paid time off for eligible employees to bond with a new child, care for a sick family member with a serious health condition, or address certain military family needs.
| Coverage: | Paid parental leave, caregiving |
|---|---|
| Employee Contribution | 0.388% of up to $91,373.88 per year. The maximum contribution is $354.53 per year |
| Employer Contribution | 0% |
| Maximum Entitlement | $1,177.32 USD per week |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
See more: Your Ultimate Guide to New York Payroll
New York PFL eligibility
Full-time employees (working 20 hours or more per week) must have worked for their employer for 26 consecutive weeks to be eligible. Part-time employees (working fewer than 20 hours per week) qualify after 175 working days.
What New York paid family leave covers
| Coverage | Description | Length of benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Bonding with a new child | Either or both parents during the first year after birth or placement for adoption | 12 weeks |
| Caring for a family member | Care for a family member with a serious health condition | 12 weeks |
| Military family needs | Leave for qualifying exigencies related to family members' active duty or call to active duty | 12 weeks |
New York paid family leave benefits
Benefits are capped at a total of 12 weeks for all covered reasons, and not per reason. This means eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave within a 52-week period for any combination of covered reasons.
The benefit amount is calculated by the Paid Family Leave Insurance carrier and is based on the employee's earnings. The maximum benefit is $1177.32 per week.
Job protections under New York PFL
The New York Paid Family Leave Insurance ensures:
- Employees have the right to return to the same or a comparable job after their leave
- Health insurance coverage continues during the leave and on the same terms
- Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who request or take Paid Family Leave
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How to claim
Employees must apply for benefits with their employer's Paid Family Leave insurance carrier. Employees should provide at least 30 days' notice to their employer if the need for leave is foreseeable. The insurance carrier will determine eligibility for leave and any benefits.
Carriers will require employees to provide documentation substantiating their claim. Employees can locate information about their employer's carrier online.
Keep compliant with Deel PEO
New to managing parental and family leave laws in New York? With Deel PEO, you can offload compliance risks and processes to ensure state-specific alignment.
- Fully in-house operations for improved support and workflows
- Expert payroll administration, HR, and benefits compliance
- Exclusive Aetna International benefits plans for W2 employees travelling abroad
- Built-in compliance for local and federal coverage
- 60+ domestic benefits plans with Fortune 500-caliber benefits
- Trainings, HR policies, and on-demand HR support
- And more
To learn more about how you can use Deel PEO to scale in the US, book a 30-minute call with one of our dedicated experts.
About the author
Shannon Ongaro is a content marketing manager and trained journalist with over a decade of experience producing content that supports franchisees, small businesses, and global enterprises. Over the years, she’s covered topics such as payroll, HR tech, workplace culture, and more. At Deel, Shannon specializes in thought leadership and global payroll content.
