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Actions Taken by the State Government

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Senate Bill S8091

The bill provides protections for employees of private and public employers who are subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine related to COVID-19. For employees working for small employers (1-10 employees), employees subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19 will receive unpaid sick days and the ability immediately to qualify for paid family leave and temporary disability benefits, plus full job protection. 

For employees working for medium sized employers (11-99 employees) and small employers (1-10 employees) with a net income of $1 million a year,employees subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19 will receive five paid sick days and the ability immediately thereafter to qualify for paid family leave and temporary disability benefits, plus full job protection. For employees working for large employers (100 or more employees) and public employees,employees subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19 will receive paid sick days for the entirety of the quarantine (up to 14 days), plus full job protection. 

All employees subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19 are given full job protection during time of absence. Employees will qualify for paid family leave to care for a minor dependent child who is subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19. The Department of Financial Services will implement a risk adjustment pool to assist in the stabilization of claims related to paid family leave and temporary disability benefits.

    • How much paid sick time you get depends on your employer’s size and annual income -- Law Enacted March 18, 2020

    • 1-10 and makes less than 1 million in revenue -- employer not required to provide new paid sick days. Use Paid Family Leave and disability benefits.  After those days are used, you may be eligible for a combination of Paid Family Leave and disability benefits.

    • 1-10 and makes more than 1 million -- employer must provide at least five paid sick days. After those days are used, you may be eligible for a combination of Paid Family Leave and disability benefits.

    • 11-99 -- employer must provide at least five paid sick days.

    • 100+ -- employer must provide at least 14 paid sick days 

    • Public employers of any size -- employer must provide at least 14 paid sick days

Unemployment Benefits Application Process

If You Are Already Approved for UI Benefits:

What you should do:

  • Do nothing except continue to certify weekly. Your benefits will be updated automatically. (Please do not call; it will only make it difficult for others to reach an agent).

What you may qualify to receive: 

  • 39 weeks of UI benefits.

  • An additional $600/week until 7/31/2020 (Payments begin 4/5/2020).

If You Are Filing a New UI Claim:

What you should do:

What you may qualify to recieive

  • 39 weeks of UI benefits

  • An additional $600/week until 7/31/2020 (Payments begin 4/5/2020)

If You Are Not Traditionally Eligible for UI Benefits:

What you should do:

What you may qualify to recieive: 

  • 39 weeks of PUA benefits.

  • An additional $600/week until 7/31/2020 (Payments begin 4/5/2020).

If You've Exhausted 26 Week of Benefits After 7/1/2019

What you should do:

What you may qualify to recieve:

  • 13 weeks of benefits.

  • An additional $600/week until 7/31/2020. 

Eviction Moratorium due to COVID-19

“The Chief Administrative Judge of New York State issued a memo on Sunday, March 15, effective 5pm on Monday March 16, which states:  All eviction proceedings and pending eviction orders shall be suspended statewide until further notice.

    • Landlords can't sue, there will be no evictions, and all courts that hear eviction cases are closed. The moratorium applies to both residential tenants (in all types of housing) and commercial tenants. There will be no evictions of any kind, for anyone, as long as the moratorium is in place.  

    • In NYC, all city marshals have been notified that they can not execute any pre-existing warrants. 

    • You are still obligated to pay rent. The moratorium just means that your landlord can’t sue you for nonpayment right now, but once the moratorium is lifted, they will be allowed to.

 

Complaints Related to COVID-19

You may file a complaint for any of the following reasons:

  • You are being forced to work at a non-essential business

  • You know about a business that is non-essential and is operating

  • You are being forced to work for an essential business, however: 

    • You do not perform an essential function

    • Your employer is making you report to a worksite when your job could be performed from home

    • Your employer is not following health and safety mandates

    • You are particularly frightened because you are over 70 and/or you have an underlying illness.

  • Your employer has failed to pay you wages owed for hours worked, earned sick pay or paid time off

  • Your employer has threatened or fired you for reasons related to COVID-19

  • You qualify for COVID-19 paid sick leave and your employer refuses to pay it

  • Your employer is forcing you to work when you are sick