The U.S. paid sick leave (PSL) law landscape is as volatile and complex as any area of employment law. The outburst and subsequent ferocity of change in the PSL space has been ongoing for the last decade—and shows no signs of stopping.

New York employers have had a front row seat to PSL laws' unpredictability and intricacies as the Empire State's PSL patchwork has transformed several times in the last 10 years. In fact, New York's PSL story serves as a microcosm for the nation's larger PSL law proliferation, as both impose heavy burdens on covered employers and often lead those employers to ask: when will there be a federal solution?

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New York PSL Landscape

New York, like many other states, has seen employers' PSL obligations expand considerably over the last 10 years. Starting in late 2013, when the United States had only five PSL laws, New York City and local New Jersey jurisdictions enacted their own unique PSL mandates over a several-month period. The Big Apple's PSL mandate officially began in April 2014.