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New York Paid Family Leave Rates for 2021

New York Paid Family Leave (PFL) contribution and benefit amounts increase in January. The New York State Department of Financial Services has announced that for calendar year 2021, employers may deduct 0.511% of an employee’s weekly wage, up to an annual cap of $385.34, to pay the premium cost for PFL.

Effective January 1, 2021, eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid family leave in any 52-week period at 67% of their average weekly wage, capped at 67% of the state average weekly wage ($1,450.17), which is $971.61.

For more information, see the New York Paid Family Leave website.

Next Steps for Employers

Employers should work with their payroll providers to ensure that the required contribution amounts are deducted from employees’ pay.  Employers may also need to update their PFL policy language and leave administration procedures and documents to reflect the updated benefit amount and leave entitlement.

HR Works will have updated policy language available with the 2021 legal updates.

HR Works, headquartered in Upstate New York, is a human resource management outsourcing and consulting firm serving clients throughout the United States for over thirty years. HR Works provides scalable strategic human resource management and consulting services, including: affirmative action programs; benefits administration outsourcing; HRIS self-service technology; full-time, part-time and interim on-site HR managers; HR audits; legally reviewed employee handbooks and supervisor manuals; talent management and recruiting services; and training of managers and HR professionals.