Paid Family Leave for PSC Staff

March 15, 2021

We are happy to announce that pursuant to bargaining between CUNY and the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits will be available to PSC-represented employees beginning March 8, 2021. Under PFL you may be eligible to take up to twelve weeks of PFL for one of the following events: 

  • To bond with a newly bo​rn, adopted or fostered child;
  • To care for a family member with a serious health condition; or 
  • To assist loved ones when a spouse, domestic partner, child or parent is deployed abroad on active military service.   

Employees pay for these benefits through a small weekly payroll deduction. The 2021 payroll contribution is 0.511% of an employee’s weekly wage and is capped at an annual maximum of $385.34. This deduction may fluctuate week to week, depending on the number of hours worked. You will begin seeing this payroll deduction on your March 25, 2021 paycheck. 

For further information please visit CUNY's benefit page​​, under the Paid Family Leave tab, where you will find PFL Guidelines, the New York State Statement of Rights for Paid Family Leave, a Notice of Compliance from our Insurance Carrier – The Standard, and the forms to file for these benefits.

This payroll deduction is mandatory for eligible employees and can only be waived for the following limited circumstances: 

  • If you work 20+ hours per week but will not work for 26 consecutive weeks. 
  • If you work less than 20 hours per week but will not work 175 days in a year. 

If one of these situations applies to you, and you want to waive this benefit, you must fill out an Employee Opt-Out form as soon as possible and send it to OHR
  
To receive these benefits, employees must complete and submit the appropriate PFL form to OHR at least 30 days in advance, if it is a foreseeable event, or as soon as possible. 
 
Should you have any questions or require assistance please contact OHR at HR@gc.cuny.edu. Please note that the PSC will also be sending out a communication about this benefit, and is available to answer questions and assist with the forms.

Additional Information