Paternity Leave in New York: Paid and Protected

Someone at the office said you get paid leave for the baby. They weren’t just making small talk. In New York you really do, and the same program pays part of your wages and protects your job. That’s rarer than it should be.

Do you qualify for paternity leave in New York?

Most likely, yes. New York Paid Family Leave (PFL) covers almost every private employer, even one with a single employee. What matters is your time on the clock:

• Full-time, 20+ hours a week: eligible after 26 weeks in a row with your employer.
• Part-time, under 20 hours: eligible after 175 days worked, not necessarily in a row.

Citizenship and immigration status don’t matter. Two exceptions: public employees are only covered if their employer opted in, and the self-employed have to opt in themselves.

Bonding leave is for both parents, so this is just as much yours as hers. Need help bringing it up at work? Our guide on how to ask for paternity leave has a script.

How much is paid family leave in New York, and for how long?

PFL pays 67 percent of your average weekly wage, up to a maximum of $1,228.53 a week in 2026. Earn around $95,000 a year or more and you’ll hit the cap, so work out the gap with your normal take-home pay before the baby arrives.

You get up to 12 weeks. Take them in one block or split them up, as long as each piece is a full day. Plenty of dads take a solid stretch after the birth and save a batch of days for when their partner goes back to work.

Don’t feel guilty about the money. You’ve already paid for it: 0.432 percent of every paycheck, up to $411.91 in 2026. Topping up to full pay with vacation days is only possible if your employer allows it, so ask before you budget on it.

How to file a paid family leave claim in New York

In New York you don’t file with the state. Your claim goes to your employer’s PFL insurance carrier, so step one is asking HR who that is.

1. Get two forms: the Request for Paid Family Leave (PFL-1) and the Bonding Certification (PFL-2). HR or the carrier has them.
2. Fill in your part of PFL-1 and give it to your employer. They have three business days to complete their part and hand it back.
3. Complete PFL-2 and add proof you’re the parent, such as the birth certificate or the Acknowledgment of Parentage you can sign at the hospital. If the birth certificate isn’t ready yet, the carrier also accepts other documents.
4. Send everything to the carrier. It then has 18 days to pay or deny the claim.

Not married? Sort out the parentage paperwork before the birth. It’s a lot easier than doing it on three hours of sleep.

Is your job protected during paternity leave in New York?

Yes. PFL comes with job protection built in. Your employer has to:

• Give you your job back, or a comparable one with the same pay and benefits.
• Keep your health insurance going on the same terms, as long as you keep paying your usual share. Adding the baby to the plan is a separate step with its own deadline.
• Not punish you for asking for or taking PFL.

If your employer won’t take you back, send a reinstatement request (form PFL-DC-119); they have 30 days to respond. If that doesn’t fix it, file a discrimination complaint (PFL-DC-120) with the Workers’ Compensation Board. If the carrier denies your claim, you can ask for arbitration. The PFL Helpline is 844-337-6303.

New York paid family leave deadlines

Before you lock in dates, take our free paternity leave HR questions to HR. Write your carrier’s name at the top. Rather ask by email? Our free HR email template is ready to copy: fill in the blanks and hit send.

General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures are for 2026 and change every January. Check with HR, your carrier and paidfamilyleave.ny.gov before you plan dates.

Sources: NY Paid Family Leave: 2026 updates, eligibility, protections, US Department of Labor.