Skip to main content

Paid time off to care for family

NYS Paid Family Leave (PFL) | NYS Workers' Compensation Board (WCB)

How it Works

Eligible workers can get up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for family. Your job is also protected when you’re on leave.

  • Workers can take Paid Family Leave to:
    • bond with a child within 12 months of birth, adoption, or foster placement.
    • care for a family member with a serious health condition.
    • assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad.
  • Leave doesn’t have to be taken all at once, but has to be taken for full days, not half days.
  • You can get paid up to 67% of your average weekly wage. See how much you can get every week with the Wage Benefit Calculator.
  • Paid Family Leave also provides:
    • job protection
    • continued health insurance
    • protection from discrimination or retaliation
  • Immigration status doesn’t affect your eligibility.

Determine your eligibility

You may be able to take Paid Family Leave if you:

  1. Are a resident of New York State.
  2. Work for a private employer in New York State or for a public employer who has opted in.
  3. Meet the time-worked requirements before taking Paid Family Leave:
    • Full-time employees who regularly work 20 or more hours/week can take PFL after working 26 consecutive weeks.
    • Part-time employees who regularly work less than 20 hours/week can take PFL after working 175 days. These days don’t need to be consecutive.

What you need to include

You’ll need different documents depending on your situation. Check the links below for the documents that you’ll need.

In general, you’ll need to prove your identity, family relationship, address, and income. You’ll also need to provide proof of a qualifying event to file a PFL claim.


How to apply

Apply in person

Apply for PFL through your employer.

  1. Tell your employer at least 30 days before you want to take leave, if possible. Otherwise, tell them as soon as possible.
  2. Download and fill out a claim form based on your employer’s instructions. You can also ask for a claim form from your employer or their insurance carrier.
  3. Gather supporting documentation for your claim. Each claim form tells you what documents you’ll need.
  4. Submit your claim form and documents to your employer’s insurance carrier or as directed by your employer.
    • Ask your employer who their insurance carrier is.
    • You can also call the Paid Family Leave Helpline at 844-337-6303 if you don’t know who their insurance carrier is.
  5. In most cases, your employer’s insurance carrier must pay or deny your claim within 18 days of receiving your completed claim.

More information

More information

Learn more about NYS Paid Family Leave at paidfamilyleave.ny.gov

Learn more about protections for workers and what to do if your rights have been violated at paidfamilyleave.ny.gov/protections

Call the Paid Family Leave Helpline

Call 844-337-6303, Monday – Friday


Come back to it later.
We can send you a link to this page to help you get back to it when you’re ready.


Last Updated January 30, 2025