On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, New York City councilmembers Shaun Abreu and Tiffany Cabán introduced a bill, Int. 1089-2024, that would guarantee paid time off to care for pets or service animals. If approved, the bill would take effect 120 days after it becomes law.
If enacted, the legislation would make New York City one of few U.S. cities with paid time off mandates that covers caring for animals. For example, Emeryville, California is among the only municipalities that has a sick time law that covers time off to care for an employee’s service or guide dog. However, New York City’s proposal extends even further, covering both a service animal and “an animal kept primarily for companionship in compliance with all applicable laws,” according to the text of the bill.
The legislation is a novel consideration for employment law and how sick leave laws have historically been used, while recognizing the mental health impact of allowing an employee time off to care for a sick pet. Specifically, the bill’s text allows for sick time to be used due to “care of a covered animal that needs medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a physical illness, injury or health condition or that needs preventive medical care.”
Presently, New York City’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, enacted in 2014, allows workers to take time off to manage their own health, provide care to a family member based on a medical diagnosis or treatment, or care for a child whose school or daycare has been closed because of a public health emergency. The law requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide up to 56 hours of paid leave each calendar year, and employers with 5 to 99 employees must provide up to 40 hours of paid leave each calendar year.
In January, the city amended its Earned Safe and Sick Time law so that employees could bring lawsuits against their employers for failure to abide by the sick leave law. The law took effect in March 2024, and provides workers a private right of action to sue within two years of the sick time violation.
According to City Councilman Shaun Abreu, Int. 1089 “reflects our commitment to the well-being of people and their companions,” and “encourage[s] pet ownership, which offers cascading benefits for our health and mental health.”