518-373-4111
As of January 1, 2018, New York Paid Family Leave (PFL) is available to virtually all private employees in the state. Employers must accurately track hours and days worked as well as sick time and leave time to ensure they comply with the law.
Use this New York Paid Family Leave Compliance checklist to identify timekeeping features needed to properly fulfill employer responsibilities. We also recommend that you consult legal, accounting, payroll, and HR experts to ensure you are doing all you can to protect yourself, your company, and your employees.
Daily
✓ Collect clock-in/clock-out data in real time for all employees
✓ Clock all meal breaks
✓ Review time-related data the same day
✓ Obtain employee agreement prior to making any corrections to time data
✓ Complete timesheets daily
✓ Review daily reports on staff utilization
Recordkeeping Policy
✓Keep paperless, current, accurate, and daily timekeeping records and written policies/procedures
✓ Document and enforce your recordkeeping policy
✓ Ensure all employees have convenient access to timekeeping policy and have reviewed it
✓ Establish timekeeping procedures
✓ Establish procedures for employees to challenge improper deductions
✓ Write up employees who do not comply with rules on punch in, punch out, meal breaks
✓ Keep records for six years (rules vary by jurisdiction—New York requires six years)
Compliance
✓ Have a policy in place for New York Paid Family Leave, New York Workers’ Compensation, New York Statutory Disability
✓ Verify that policies are implemented in practice
✓ All employees working on company premises should clock in and out for meal breaks
✓ Establish a formal process for reporting/resolving wage concerns
Data Gathering
✓ Use a digital timekeeping system
✓ Use biometric readers to avoid buddy punching and prove compliance
✓ Lockout employees from the time clock to prevent working early
✓ Record meal breaks as they happen
✓ Ensure convenient entry of all hours worked
✓ Record all hours worked for all employees whether paid or not
✓ Track time off
✓ Give employees access to their timesheets
✓ Retain timesheets and supporting documents for 6 years (or as required by law)
Scheduling
✓ Use templates for faster and clearer scheduling
✓ View all available staff at a glance to enable easy fill of open shifts
✓ Allow shift swapping with supervisor approval
✓ Set rules for shift swapping based on coverage, budget, overtime limits
✓ Set notifications for potential overtime situations
✓ Apply rules to calculate proper compensation based on schedule
✓ Track certifications and other qualifications to assist supervisors in selecting best candidates to fill open shifts
Data Review and Reporting
✓ Produce reports for insight into staffing and budget
✓ Produce an eligibility report to determine which employees are eligible for PFL
✓ Produce a leave report to review time taken and time available in 52-week window
✓ Review time data
✓ Require supervisor approve/co-sign on all timesheets
✓ Record corrections
✓ Export electronically to payroll to ensure rapid transfer without rekeying errors
✓ Ensure that payroll and timekeeping records tie out perfectly
The easiest way to ensure compliance with New York Paid Family Leave is to use GTM’s time and attendance system. Our automated solution will track time and employee benefits, keep proper records, and generate accurate reports.
Download a PDF of this checklist and see all our New York PFL resources here. Contact us at (518) 373-4111 for more information or to schedule a free consultation and demo.
