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Effective July 31, 2025, New York’s COVID‑19–specific paid sick leave mandate will officially sunset. As of August 1, 2025, employers will no longer be required to provide the separate COVID‑19 sick leave that has been in place since March 2020. Depending on size and income, employers previously had to offer 5 or 14 days of paid leave for isolation or quarantine orders tied to COVID‑19.
Employees still retain the ability to use standard New York State Paid Sick Leave, or New York City’s Earned Sick & Safe Time, for COVID‑related care, falling under general communicable illness protections. They also remain eligible for Paid Family Leave or disability benefits in applicable scenarios.
COVID Sick Leave and Your Employee Handbook
If your handbook or policies currently reference the COVID‑19 leave law, it’s time to update them. This change can affect:
- Scope and eligibility, especially for leave tied to mandatory quarantine or isolation.
- Procedural guidelines for requesting leave and documentation.
- Benefit interactions between pandemic leave and other leave types, like Paid Family Leave or NYPSL.
Without updates, employees may be confused or have outdated expectations, which increases exposure to compliance risks.
Employee Handbook Updates
1. Remove or revise any references to “COVID‑19 quarantine or isolation leave”
- Eliminate sections describing the separate COVID‑specific sick time requirement.
- Replace it with a statement that the requirement expired on July 31, 2025.
2. Clarify available leave under NYPSL & NYPFL
- Explain that employees can still use paid sick leave under the broader state or NYC laws for illnesses, including COVID‑19.
- Note eligibility to use Paid Family Leave when caring for an ill family member, including COVID‑related conditions that qualify as a serious health condition;
3. Streamline procedure and documentation sections
- If previously detailed how to document COVID‑specific leave or testing, clean up those requirements.
- Reference only general leave forms and reporting procedures going forward.
4. Address transitional messaging
- Provide a clear effective date (e.g., “As of August 1, 2025”) to avoid confusion.
- Consider including a brief employee FAQ section: “What changed?”, “What stays?”, and “Where do I go for help?”
5. Update internal and external communications
- Send a company-wide notice to explain the change.
- Train HR and managers to effectively answer questions and guide employees.
Employer Action Steps
Audit your handbook and leave policies
Remove outdated COVID‑specific provisions and adjust language to reflect current law.
Issue clear employee communications
Set expectations and avoid confusion about leave entitlements.
Educate your managers
Ensure consistent leave handling across teams and reinforce compliance.
Update forms and internal systems
Remove obsolete documentation prompts and align with standard leave workflows.
Final Thoughts
The end of New York’s COVID‑19 sick leave mandate marks a transition back to standard statutory leave frameworks, but it doesn’t eliminate protections. Remaining laws, such as NYPSL, NYC Earned Sick & Safe Time, and Paid Family Leave, still offer robust coverage for illness and caregiving needs.
By proactively updating your handbook and leave procedures before the August 1, 2025, deadline, you’ll help avoid confusion, support employee trust, and reinforce your compliance readiness.
Get Help Updating Your Employee Handbook
Whether it’s this COVID leave law ending or a multitude of other updates that need to be made to your handbook, it can be a daunting and time-consuming task, especially if you don’t have the HR staff or resources to do it internally. That’s where GTM can help. Our HR consultants are experts at creating and updating employee handbooks to ensure compliance with the latest labor laws. They will work with you to ensure that the updates are effectively communicated to your staff.
Learn more, then fill out the brief form below to get a free consultation.