City Hall – Today, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito joined Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce a plan to significantly expand the number of employees that will be entitled to paid sick time. The proposed legislation will require businesses with five or more employees to provide paid sick time to its employees, as opposed to the current law that requires businesses with 15 or more employees to provide paid sick time.

The legislation will now also require manufacturing workers to be provided paid sick time, and extends the statute of limitations for complaints to three years from 270 days. Further, the enforcement agency will have the authority to take proactive measures, such as audits and inspections, to ensure compliance with the law. Finally, the bill expands the definition of family member to include grandparents, grandchildren and siblings.

Council Members praised this vital and responsible legislation that will give New York City workers unprecedented protections. The announcement was made at Esmeralda’s Restaurant Brooklyn.

“It’s time for our laws to live up to our values. This is a new day for New York City, and we are going to use every tool we have to make life better for working people,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “We are going to make sure that no one is thrown into crisis and insecurity just because they or a family member gets sick. This is the culmination of a movement and coalition that has put the rights and needs of families at the center of our agenda. The City Council is going to work in partnership with the Mayor to seize this moment.”

COUNCIL MEMBERS CHEER LEGISLATION

“No worker should have to choose between their job and their health. No parent should have to choose between taking care of a sick child and putting food on the table. It is bad for our families, our economy, and public health. Today we are taking the next step in expanding our historic Paid Sick Days law to cover more New Yorkers. Thank you to Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito for championing this issue.”
– Council Member Brad Lander

“This agreement to expand paid sick days to more New Yorkers than ever before is a giant step forward in ensuring the health and prosperity of our city. By guaranteeing paid sick days to businesses of five or more employees, our city is recognizing the important needs of working families and providing them much-needed security. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito for their leadership to provide paid sick days for the working people of New York.”
– Council Member Stephen Levin

“No New Yorker should lose their job because of an illness, or have to report to work sick and infect their co-workers for fear of being fired — that’s why we need to expand the Paid Sick Leave law as soon as possible.”
– Council Member Rory Lancman

“Paid sick days is a fundamental human right for everyone. I’m proud to support this legislation.”
– Council Member Helen Rosenthal

“I am thrilled that our new administration is expanding paid sick leave right out of the gate. No New Yorker should be forced to lose even one day’s pay to take care of their health. As a former small business owner, I know the importance of supporting your employees. It’s good economics and good government.”
– Council Member Laurie Cumbo

“This is a bold first step by the new, united progressive leadership in our city. With an expansion in the number of New Yorkers eligible for paid sick leave, we are furthering a groundbreaking piece of legislation and letting our city’s workers know that they are a priority as we move forward. Our leadership is committed to stemming the tide of inequality and we will continue to fight for those in need across the 5 boroughs.”
– Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez

“The passage of paid sick leave will be our legacy in the fight for social justice. New Yorkers will no longer have to run the risk of losing a day’s pay or worse–losing their job due to illness or a family emergency. Paid sick leave will reduce low productivity in the workforce, increase morale of our workers and improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers.”
– Council Member Rosie Mendez

“The new agreement reached on Paid Sick Time is a monumental victory for our City and a clear indicator of how true Progressives in office are putting the people first. After years of fighting for the passage of this deal, our struggle is now over at long last, thanks to the work of Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito. I applaud them for making this issue a priority. This deal will undoubtedly improve the quality of life for thousands of people, especially for those who are part of our diverse immigrant and working class communities.”
– Council Member Julissa Ferreras

“I’m pleased that the City Council will have an opportunity to expand Paid Sick Days legislation. This is an opportunity to extend basic fairness to those New Yorkers who were not covered under the original law passed last year. This bill will alleviate the worry of losing your job if you or a loved one is sick. It is simply the right thing to do and I look forward to voting in support of this bill in the Council.”
– Council Member Corey Johnson

“I strongly support the expansion of paid sick leave. Hundreds of thousands of low-wage earners should not have to choose between their physical and financial well-being.”
– Council Member Andrew Cohen

“I’ve long said that no one should have to choose between caring for themselves and their loved ones and keeping their job. This plan to expand paid sick leave to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers is smart, fair and just. I thank Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito for making this issue a priority.”
– Council Member Annabel Palma

“A new proposal to require businesses that employ 5 or more workers to offer paid sick leave is common sense. People need to work and from time to time people get sick. A few days of paid sick leave, allowing employees to recuperate and work productively when they return, is the respectful and smart thing to do.”
– Council Member Daniel Dromm

“I am thrilled that paid sick leave will be expanded to cover more working families. No New Yorker should have to choose between their health and their financial security.”
– Council Member Margaret Chin

“I’m thrilled to be part of a city government that is acting on its commitment to address issues that deeply affect the lives of working New Yorkers. As difficult as it is to get into the workforce today, no one should have to risk their employment to attend to a personal illness or a sick child. Expanding paid sick leave policy to cover more New Yorkers is the right thing to do and I’m proud to join Mayor DeBlasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito in working to accomplish this goal.”
– Council Member Robert Cornegy

“I would like to first thank Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for their leadership on Paid Sick Leave and their commitment to improving the quality of life of all New Yorkers. As the City Council Member of the 40th District in Brooklyn, I represent thousands of working class families who serve as the building blocks of this great city. I have witnessed, firsthand, the struggles of two-parent and single-parent households in which the provider of the family often works multiple jobs to make ends meet. If the provider of the family or their child becomes ill, it often means a day of lost pay or sending that individual to work or school and further spreading their sickness. This is not a way of life that we should embrace as a city or as a society. I fully support the efforts of our Mayor and our Speaker to expand Paid Sick Leave and to embrace a healthier and more just New York.”
– Council Member Mathieu Eugene

“We want to work with the Mayor to get paid sick leave done. It enhances the lives of the working families that we serve, it is exactly what we signed up for and it is something which will improve the quality of life for many workers and those they service.”
– Council Member I. Daneek Miller

“This is exactly the kind of change New Yorkers voted for in this last election cycle. Expanding paid sick leave legislation means a significant quality of life improvement for an additional 300,000 middle class and low-income workers in our city. We must continue to build a New York where all workers are treated fairly, earn a decent wage and are able to attend to their health or the health of a family member without the fear of losing a paycheck. This is a great first step towards advancing a bold and progressive agenda for New York City.”
– Council Member Mark Levine

“I am proud to join Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito to announce legislation expanding Paid Sick Days for workers. Everyone gets sick but some are forced to go to work while sick because they can’t afford to lose a day’s pay. No one should have to choose between taking care of their health and that of their co-workers or paying their rent. It is time to get this done and I applaud our Mayor and Speaker for their leadership on this issue.”
– Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer

“The availability of paid sick leave makes a crucial difference in the daily lives of so many. I look forward to working with the mayor, the speaker, business leaders and my fellow Council Members to ensure that working New Yorkers can be healthy and have the resources they need.”
– Council Member Ben Kallos

“Every day New Yorkers should never have to choose between work and their health. I stand in solidarity with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito in expanding Paid Sick Days for every New Yorker.”
– Council Member Donovan Richards

“It is critical that we expand paid sick leave to cover companies with five or more workers, since small businesses are the primary driver for so much of our City’s job creation. We need to make sure that economic growth is producing sustainable jobs for low-wage workers across the entire City. Far too often, hardworking immigrant families are struggling to make ends meet without basic benefits. It is time to ensure that employers allow workers to attend to their health without losing a paycheck, or even worse, a job. Expanding paid sick leave will benefits all New Yorkers, making our City a healthier and more equitable place to live and work. ”
– Council Member Carlos Menchaca

“Expanding paid sick leave will improve the lives of thousands of New Yorkers who currently sacrifice their health and well-being of their family in order to keep their jobs. As a working mother of two, I know the importance of paid sick leave, and I thank Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito for making this issue a priority.”
– Council Member Elizabeth Crowley

“Today we are one step closer to making New York City a healthier place to live and a healthier place to work. Working men and women, even those employed by small businesses, should never have to make the unnecessary choice between their paychecks and their health.”
– Council Member Ritchie Torres

“Expanding the scope of businesses that are required to provide paid time off for sick employees is essential. It not only promotes basic health measures but demands more accountability from employers. I support Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito’s proposal.”
– Council Member Antonio Reynoso

“With the edition of the expansion of the paid-sick-leave legislation, it’s a sign that we’re moving in the right direction to protect all working new Yorkers and their families. I thank Mayor Bill De Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito for their leadership on this issue.”
– Council Member Andy King

“Paid sick leave should be a basic right of every worker. Employees should not be penalized for taking care of their own health.”
– Council Member Rafael L. Espinal, Jr.

“Every worker in NYC deserves the right to take time off from work when they or a family member gets sick without losing a day’s pay or fear of losing their job altogether. I applaud Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito for addressing this issue. No one should be forced to choose between their jobs and their health.”
– Council Member Vincent J. Gentile

“I look forward to supporting this bill to expand Paid Sick Leave in the city,” said Council Member Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria). “Everyone deserves a chance to recover from sickness without being made to choose between their health and their job. I commend Mayor De Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito for their leadership on this issue.”
– Council Member Costa Constantinides

“I am pleased with the proposal of Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito to extend the requirements of the Paid Sick Leave Act to companies with five (5) or more workers, because it will cover many more workers and thus enable us to have a much healthier AND stronger workforce. In particular, this law is important for women, people of color, and recent immigrants, who overwhelmingly constitute the workforce that will be most impacted by this law. Most importantly, this bill is a victory for all workers in New York City.”
-Council Member Deborah Rose

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