Effective October 30, 2019, Westchester County, New York employers will be required to provide victims of domestic violence and human trafficking 40 hours of paid time off annually in order to (1) attend or testify in a criminal or civil proceeding related to domestic violence or human trafficking and/or (2) move to a safe location.
This law applies to most employees who work for Westchester County employers for more than 90 days in a calendar year. Employers will be required to display a posting in English, Spanish and any other language deemed appropriate by Westchester County in a conspicuous location in the workplace. Employers will also be required to give employees a copy of the law at the time of hire or within 90 days of the effective date of the law (i.e., January 28, 2020), whichever is later.
The Safe Leave Law is a separate law from the relatively new Westchester Earned Sick Leave Law.
What Should You Do Now?
- Update your policies and procedures to reflect this new law.
- Train human resources personnel and managers on the existence of this new law.
- Post notice of the law in the workplace.
- Ensure all current employees get a copy of the law before January 28, 2020.
- Provide a copy of the new law to all new employees at the time of hire.