New York State, being one of only nine states in the United States that offer paid family leave, is set to increase its maximum cash benefit available to eligible recipients at the beginning of the incoming year. Starting on Jan. 1, the maximum possible cash benefits for paid family leave will see an over $300 increase, as stated by the Workers’ Compensation Board. This type of social safety net insurance is paid through employee contributions each pay period and enables eligible workers to receive up to 12 weeks of job-secured paid time off during a one-year period.

Purpose of paid family leave is to provide workers with job-secured paid time to bond with a new child, to care for seriously ill family members, or to lend support to loved ones in case a family member is deployed to active military service overseas. Eligible workers get 67% of their average weekly wages covered during their leave. Following this, the maximum potential for this cash benefit is estimated to be $1,177.32 per week, or $14,127.84 for the whole 12-week period starting next year. This is an increase from $13,813.92, the maximum amount that a recipient could receive in 2024.

Boosting these benefits is the state’s average weekly wage, a measure used to calculate benefits for various safety net programs. The state’s average weekly wage is predicted to surge to $1,757.19 in the following year, resulting to an increase in the total maximum workers can receive since 67% of the average weekly wage is the cap for maximum paid family leave payments.

Employers should redirect their focus on updating any written policies that will reflect the new dollar values and percentages valid for 2025. Any out-of-date information regarding the state’s average weekly wage should also be updated. A recent report shows New York ranks eighth out of the nine states in offering benefit rate of 67%, making it apparent that the state’s maximum payouts and percentage of weekly pay covered by the insurance lag behind other states.

In line with this, the Workers’ Compensation Board is set to host a series of one-hour webinars to aid employers and human resources personnel in understanding the changes to family leave for 2025. For additional details on the changes set for next year, inquiries can be directed to the state’s Paid Family Leave webpage.

When dealing with matters regarding paid family leave, it could be tough to navigate through the process. In times like this, understanding how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave could assuage concerns and uncertainties. As such, eddcaller.com provides substantial aid by consolidating information on how to contact necessary departments, making it easier for the public to access the help they need.