For Classified and Professionals:
New York State will provide 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave for executive branch state employees to bond with a newly born, adopted, or fostered child. All other childcare leave benefits provided by applicable collective bargaining agreements remain unchanged and available for use when applicable.
Eligibility
M/C 13 employees: All employees who work full-time or who work at least 50% part-time are eligible for this benefit. Such employees are eligible beginning on their first day of service. Employees are not required to have Attendance Rules coverage to be granted this benefit.
UUP, CSEA, PEF, PBANYS & NYSCOPBA employees: All employees who work full-time or who work at least 50% part-time are eligible for this benefit. Such employees are eligible upon completion of six cumulative months of State service. The work percentage that will determine the compensation under the benefit will be determined by a six-month look back before the date the leave commences. Agencies should use the six months prior to any sick leave at half-pay or leave without pay benefits related to the qualifying event to calculate the paid leave entitlement available.
Use of Paid Parental Leave:
Employees may take leave with pay for up to 12 weeks for each qualifying event, defined as the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care. Paid Parental Leave is available for use once every 12-month period. A qualifying event begins the 12-month period. Paid Parental Leave may begin on the date of birth, the day of adoption or foster care placement or anytime thereafter within seven months. An employee’s ability to use Paid Parental Leave ends seven months from the date of the qualifying event. If a qualifying event occurred within seven months before the effective date of this bulletin, an employee may use Paid Parental Leave, however the employee’s use of Paid Parental Leave must end within seven months of the qualifying event.
Paid Parental Leave may be used in combination with all other paid and unpaid childcare leave benefits (see attached chart for examples of application and order of Paid Parental Leave benefits). Paid Family Leave, Income Protection Plan, and usage of accruals cannot run concurrently with Paid Parental Leave and may be taken at the appropriate time in addition to Paid Parental Leave.
If both parents are employed by a New York State Agency, both parents may use Paid Parental Leave, even if they work for the same appointing authority.
Paid Parental Leave cannot be used intermittently and must be taken in a block of time. Employees do not have to take the full 12 weeks, but once they return from Paid Parental Leave, they can no longer use this leave.
For GSEU:
New York State has announced that eligible employees represented by the Graduate Student Employees Union will receive fully paid parental leave effective September 1, 2025 supporting gestational, non-gestational, adoptive and foster parents.
Eligible Employees
For a GSEU employee to be eligible the employee must:
- Have completed one semester on state payroll, and
- Be actively engaged in a full assistantship.
Benefit Highlights
- Up to 12 weeks of paid leave per qualifying event (birth, adoption, foster care placement).
- Leave must be taken in a single block and completed within seven months of the qualifying event
Employees should contact Human Resources at 716-673-3434 to discuss Paid Parental Leave.