Paid Family Leave -
New York State Employees

Overview  

Since first launching in 2018, New York State Paid Family Leave has provided critical benefits to improve the lives of tens of thousands of working New Yorkers and their families.

After a successful four-year phase-in, New York State Paid Family Leave is now fully realized, with benefits at their target levels.

New York Paid Family Leave provides eligible employees job-protected, paid time off to:

The Paid Family Leave benefit is available for New York State Management/Confidential (M/C) employees in Bargaining Units 06, 18, 46, and 66. State employees in the Executive Branch who are represented by a union will have access to Paid Family Leave when the State and their respective union reach an agreement to provide the benefit to its members. As of July 10, 2019, M/C employees in Bargaining Unit 98 and State employees represented by District Council 37 also have access to Paid Family Leave through the State's vendor, MetLife.

The Paid Family Leave benefit is also available for United University Professions (UUP) employees in Bargaining Unit 08 and unclassified Management/Confidential (SUNY MC13) employees. For additional information, visit: www.suny.edu/benefits/attendance/pfl/.

Paid Family Leave guarantees that employees can return to their same or comparable job after their leave ends, and that they will be able to continue their health insurance while on leave on the same terms as if they had continued working.

In 2024, eligible employees will have access to up to 12 weeks of job protected, paid time off to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, or to assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service. This time can be taken all at once, or in increments of full days.

  • PFL 1
  • PFL 2
  • PFL 3

Eligibility Criteria  

Covered employees become eligible to take Paid Family Leave for a qualifying event once they have met the minimum time-worked requirements:

Citizenship and/or immigration status is not a factor in employee eligibility.

Employees who qualify for a PFL waiver will be provided an optional PFL waiver form(External Link) by their agency.

Employees may also qualify for a PFL waiver if they are receiving, or are eligible to receive, Social Security benefits due to age. Employees must complete the following form, DB-130(External Link), and provide a notarized copy to the Workers' Compensation Board and their agency.

Benefits  

During 2024, employees can take up to 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave and receive 67% of their average weekly wage (AWW), capped at 67% of the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW).

Generally, an employee's AWW is the average of their last eight weeks of wages prior to taking Paid Family Leave. The SAWW is updated annually.

To estimate your benefits, use the Wage Benefits Calculator.

Payroll Deductions for Paid Family Leave  

New York's Paid Family Leave is insurance that is fully-funded by employees through payroll deductions.

In 2024, the contribution is 0.373% of an employee's gross wages each pay period. The maximum annual contribution is $333.25.

Employees earning less than the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) of $1,718.15 will contribute less than the annual cap of $333.25, consistent with their actual wages.

To estimate your deduction, use the Payroll Deduction Calculator.

Apply for Bonding Leave  

If you're an M/C employee who wishes to utilize Paid Family Leave benefits, you must notify your agency personnel administrators at least 30 days in advance if the leave is foreseeable. If the leave is not foreseeable, you must give your agency personnel administrator as much notice as practicable.

Once you have notified your agency personnel administrators of your intent to utilize Paid Family Leave, you are encouraged to call MetLife at 1-800-300-4296 to begin the process to receive benefits.

Alternatively, you can begin the process by completing and submitting a claim as follows. More detailed instructions are provided on the back of each claim form.

Step 1: COMPLETE THE REQUEST FOR PAID FAMILY LEAVE FORM

The Request for Paid Family Leave (MET-PFL-1) form has sections that need to be completed by you and by your agency's personnel administrator.

Step 2: COMPLETE AND ATTACH THE BONDING CERTIFICATION FORM AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Complete the Bonding Certification (MET-PFL-2) and attach copies of supporting documentation.

Required documentation for bonding with a newborn

Birth parent:

A copy of the child's birth certificate if available, or an original copy of a health care provider certification of birth.

Other parent:

A copy of the child's birth certificate, if available, naming you as the second parent, a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (Form LDSS-4418), or a Court Order of Filiation.

Or

Same documentation as birth parent and a second document verifying the relationship to the birth parent, such as a marriage certificate, civil union, or domestic partnership document.

Required documentation for adoption

You will need to provide one of the following:

If you are not the parent named in the court documents, you must also provide proof verifying your relationship to the parent named in the court documents, such as a marriage certificate, civil union, or domestic partnership document.

Required documentation for foster care

You will need to provide a foster care placement letter issued by the county or city department of social services or authorized voluntary foster care agency.

If you are not the parent named in the placement letter, you must also provide proof verifying your relationship to the parent named in the placement letter, such as a marriage certificate, civil union, or domestic partnership document.

Step 3: SUBMIT TO METLIFE

Submit your completed MET-PFL-1, MET-PFL-2 forms and your supporting documentation to MetLife via email, US mail, or fax.

In most cases, MetLife must pay or deny benefits within 18 calendar days of receiving your completed request or your first day of leave, whichever is later. Your request cannot be considered incomplete solely because your agency failed to fill out Part B of MET-PFL-1 within three business days.

Note: M/C employees may receive PFL benefits either by check or direct deposit. Employees wishing to receive payment through direct deposit must complete and submit MetLife's Electronic Funds Transfer Form. No action is necessary if an employee prefers to receive payment through a check.

If you have a question regarding the status of your request, contact MetLife at 1-800-300-4296.

Withholding taxes

According to the New York State Department of Tax and Finance Notice N-17-12 Paid Family Leave benefits are subject to State and Federal Income tax. To withhold federal taxes from your Paid Family Leave benefit, you must complete an IRS Form W-4S (Request for Federal Income Tax Withholding From Sick Pay) and submit it to MetLife with your initial claim form. To withhold New York State taxes, you must provide a written notice to MetLife specifying the dollar amount to be withheld from each weekly benefit check - you can use the New York State Paid Family Leave (PFL) State Tax Withholding Request Form for this notice.

Note: If you wish to withhold New York State taxes you must also withhold federal taxes. Questions concerning how much to withhold should be directed to a tax professional.

Apply to Care for a Family Member with a Serious Health Condition  

If you're an M/C employee who wishes to utilize Paid Family Leave benefits, you must notify your agency personnel administrators at least 30 days in advance if the leave is foreseeable. If the leave is not foreseeable, you must give your agency personnel administrator as much notice as practicable.

Once you have notified your agency personnel administrators of your intent to utilize Paid Family Leave, you are encouraged to call MetLife at 1-800-300-4296 to begin the process to receive benefits.

Alternatively, you can begin the process by completing and submitting a claim as follows. More detailed instructions are provided on the back of each claim form.

Step 1: COMPLETE THE REQUEST FOR PAID FAMILY LEAVE FORM

The Request for Paid Family Leave (MET-PFL-1) form has sections that need to be completed by you and by your agency's personnel administrator.

Step 2: COMPLETE ADDITIONAL FORMS (MET-PFL-3 & MET-PFL-4)

Next, you need to complete the family care forms, MET-PFL-3 and MET-PFL-4.

This form authorizes a health care provider to release information regarding your family member's serious health condition to MetLife. This release will end after one year, or when your family member revokes it.

The health care provider will keep this form on file. Do not send it to MetLife.

Fill out your section, make a copy and give the form to the health care provider. Ask the provider to complete their portion of the form and return it to you in a timely manner.

Step 3: SUBMIT TO METLIFE

Submit your completed MET-PFL-1 and MET-PFL-4 forms to MetLife via email, US mail, or fax.

In most cases, MetLife must pay or deny benefits within 18 calendar days of receiving your completed request or your first day of leave, whichever is later. Your request cannot be considered incomplete solely because your agency failed to fill out Part B of MET-PFL-1 within three business days.

Note: M/C employees may receive PFL benefits either by check or direct deposit. Employees wishing to receive payment through direct deposit must complete and submit MetLife's Electronic Funds Transfer Form. No action is necessary if an employee prefers to receive payment through a check.

If you have a question regarding the status of your request, contact MetLife at 1-800-300-4296.

Withholding taxes

According to the New York State Department of Tax and Finance Notice N-17-12 Paid Family Leave benefits are subject to State and Federal Income tax. To withhold federal taxes from your Paid Family Leave benefit, you must complete an IRS Form W-4S (Request for Federal Income Tax Withholding From Sick Pay) and submit it to MetLife with your initial claim form. To withhold New York State taxes, you must provide a written notice to MetLife specifying the dollar amount to be withheld from each weekly benefit check - you can use the New York State Paid Family Leave (PFL) State Tax Withholding Request Form for this notice.

Note: If you wish to withhold New York State taxes you must also withhold federal taxes. Questions concerning how much to withhold should be directed to a tax professional.

Apply to Assist a Service Member  

If you're an M/C employee who wishes to utilize Paid Family Leave benefits, you must notify your agency personnel administrators at least 30 days in advance if the leave is foreseeable. If the leave is not foreseeable, you must give your agency personnel administrator as much notice as practicable.

Once you have notified your agency personnel administrators of your intent to utilize Paid Family Leave, you are encouraged to call MetLife at 1-800-300-4296 to begin the process to receive benefits.

Alternatively, you can begin the process by completing and submitting a claim as follows. More detailed instructions are provided on the back of each claim form.

Step 1: COMPLETE THE REQUEST FOR PAID FAMILY LEAVE FORM

The Request for Paid Family Leave (MET-PFL-1) form has sections that need to be completed by you and by your agency's personnel administrator.

Step 2: COMPLETE AND ATTACH THE MILITARY QUALIFYING EVENT FORM AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Required Documentation

You will need to verify your family member's service with one of the following:

If leave is requested to meet with a third-party, you must provide documentation of the meeting that includes the following:

The last page of the MET-PFL-5 form has a template you can use to document these meetings.

Step 3: SUBMIT TO METLIFE

Submit your completed MET-PFL-1 and MET-PFL-5 forms and supporting documentation to MetLife via email, US mail, or fax.

In most cases, MetLife must pay or deny benefits within 18 calendar days of receiving your completed request or your first day of leave, whichever is later. Your request cannot be considered incomplete solely because your agency failed to fill out Part B of MET-PFL-1 within three business days.

Note: M/C employees may receive PFL benefits either by check or direct deposit. Employees wishing to receive payment through direct deposit must complete and submit MetLife's Electronic Funds Transfer Form. No action is necessary if an employee prefers to receive payment through a check.

If you have a question regarding the status of your request, contact MetLife at 1-800-300-4296.

Withholding taxes

According to the New York State Department of Tax and Finance Notice N-17-12 Paid Family Leave benefits are subject to State and Federal Income tax. To withhold federal taxes from your Paid Family Leave benefit, you must complete an IRS Form W-4S(External Link) (Request for Federal Income Tax Withholding From Sick Pay) and submit it to MetLife with your initial claim form. To withhold New York State taxes, you must provide a written notice to MetLife specifying the dollar amount to be withheld from each weekly benefit check - you can use the New York State Paid Family Leave (PFL) State Tax Withholding Request Form for this notice.

Note: If you wish to withhold New York State taxes you must also withhold federal taxes. Questions concerning how much to withhold should be directed to a tax professional.

Employee Resources  

Contact Us

For questions, email us at pfl@cs.ny.gov.

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