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Bill

S 8677

Relates to eligibility for paid sick leave

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Chris Ryan

Telecommuting employees must accrue paid sick leave at the same rate and under the same conditions as onsite employees.

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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 8677

Summary: Bill S 8677 (2025-2026) — Relates to eligibility for paid sick leave (New York)

Overview

  • Jurisdiction: New York
  • Introduced: January 7, 2026
  • Sponsor: Senator C. Ryan (co-sponsor listed as Chris Ryan)
  • Committee: Labor
  • Purpose: Ensure telecommuting employees are eligible for paid sick leave under the same terms as employees who physically work at the employer’s site.

Key Provisions

  • New prohibition on exclusion: The bill adds a new paragraph (c) to Subdivision 5 of § 196-b of the Labor Law.

    • Employers may not exclude telecommuting employees from the employer’s paid sick leave policy that applies to employees who physically commute to the work site.
    • Telecommuting employees must accrue sick leave at the same rate and under the same conditions as a comparable in-person employee.

  • Accrual and conditions: Telecommuting employees’ sick leave accrual mirrors that of their on-site counterparts. This includes the rate of accrual and the conditions for using accrued sick leave.

Effective Date and Implementation

  • Effective date: The act shall take effect one year after becoming law.
  • Application: The accrual of paid sick leave for telecommuting employees applies to accruals occurring on or after the effective date.
  • Implementing regulations: The act authorizes, as of the effective date, the immediate addition, amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary to implement the act, with such changes to be completed on or before the effective date.

Who Is Affected

  • Telecommuting employees: Those who work remotely (telecommute) for an employer.
  • Comparable in-person employees: Used as the baseline to determine the rate and conditions of sick leave accrual for telecommuters.
  • Employers with paid sick leave policies: Must ensure policies cover telecommuters on equal terms with on-site employees.

Practical Impact

  • Equity in benefits: Addresses potential disparity where remote workers could be excluded or receive less favorable sick leave terms.
  • Policy alignment: Requires employers to implement uniform accrual rates and usage rules for remote and on-site staff.
  • Administrative considerations: Employers may need to review and update payroll and HR systems to ensure telecommuting staff accrue sick leave identically to their on-site peers.

Notes

  • The bill text indicates this is a clarifying expansion of eligibility rather than a change in the total amount of sick leave required; it aligns eligibility and accrual mechanics between telecommuting and on-site employees.
  • No dollar amounts or percentage changes are specified; the focus is on parity of eligibility and accrual rate/conditions.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law (§ 196-b) to highlight exact differences.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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