New York Safe and Sick Leave Policy

Columbia University complies with the New York State Sick Law and New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act by providing eligible faculty and staff the ability to accrue up to a maximum of 56 hours per fiscal year in paid safe/sick time for any use specified under this policy (see Use of Safe and Sick Leave section below).  Any earned but unused safe/sick time under this policy will be carried forward from year to year; however, covered employees may not use more than 56 hours of safe/sick time in any given fiscal year (though an employee may be eligible for additional paid medical leave under other University policies).  New employees may begin using available paid safe/sick time upon commencement of employment.  Columbia University does not pay out unused safe/sick time under this or any other policy at termination.

Use of the paid safe/sick time

Employees will be allowed to use all, or any portion, of their paid safe/sick time for:

1. The employee’s mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, regardless of whether such illness, injury or health condition has been diagnosed or requires medical care at the time that such employee requests leave;
2. The employee’s diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, or need for medical diagnosis, preventive care or elective surgery, including organ donations;
3. To care for employee’s family member because of the family member’s mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, regardless of whether such illness, injury or health condition has been diagnosed or requires medical care at the time that such employee requests leave;
4. To care for the employee’s family member because of the family member’s diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, or need for medical diagnosis, preventive care or elective surgery, including organ donations;
5. When a public official orders the closure of an employee’s child’s school or child care provider due to a public health emergency;
6. When a public official orders the closure of the employee’s place of business due to a public health emergency; or
7. An absence from work due to any of the following reasons when the employee or the employee’s family member has been the victim of domestic violence, a family offense, sexual offense, stalking or human trafficking (“safe time”):
   1. to obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, or other services program;
   2. to participate in safety planning, temporarily or permanently relocate, or take other actions to increase the safety of the employee or employee’s family members;
   3. to meet with an attorney or other social services provider to obtain information and advice on, and prepare for or participate in, any criminal or civil proceeding;
   4. to file a complaint or domestic incident report with law enforcement;
   5. to meet with a district attorney’s office;
   6. to enroll children in a new school; or
   7. to take any other actions necessary to ensure the health or safety of the employee or employee’s family member or to protect those who associate or work with the employee.

For purposes of this policy, family members include an employee’s child (biological, adopted, foster or to whom the employee stands in loco parentis), spouse, domestic partner, parent (or who stands in loco parentis to the employee), the child or parent of an employee’s spouse or domestic partner, sibling (including adopted, half- or step-sibling), grandparent and grandchild, any other individual related by blood to the employee, and any other individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

For absences of more than 3 consecutive work days under this policy, employees may be required to provide medical documentation or, for safe time, other reasonable documentation, of the need for leave.  For purposes of safe time, reasonable documentation may include a written note from a victim services organization, attorney, member of a clergy, or medical provider, a police or court record, or a notarized letter from the employee documenting the need for such leave.  Employees may be asked to certify that they have used safe/sick time for covered purposes under this policy.  Fraudulent use of safe/sick time or failure to provide requested documentation may be the basis for disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

The University will not require the disclosure of confidential information relating to a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition of an employee or an employee's family member, or information relating to absence from work due to domestic violence, a sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking, as a condition of providing safe/sick time pursuant to this policy. 

Where the need for safe/sick time is foreseeable (for example, non-emergency medical and dental appointments), the University requests that the employee provide their supervisor with notice at least a week in advance. Where the need for safe/sick time is not foreseeable, the employee shall provide notice in writing to the employee’s supervisor or department as soon as practicable.

Upon mutual agreement of the employee and manager, an employee who is absent for a covered reason may work additional hours to make up for lost time during the immediately preceding 7 days if the absence was foreseeable or in the immediately subsequent 7 days from that absence without using paid safe/sick time accruals.

For officers of instruction, upon mutual agreement of the officer of instruction and the Department Chair, the officer of instruction can make up for lost time at any point during the applicable semester without using paid safe/sick time accruals.

Please see the “Fiscal Year Accrual Schedule and Other Information for NY Safe and Sick Leave” section below for more information.

Eligible faculty and staff are provided up to 56 hours per fiscal year of safe/sick time, in accordance with the “Fiscal Year Accrual Schedule and Other Information for NY Safe and Sick Leave” section below.  Earned and unused safe/sick time will carry over from one fiscal year to the next. However, only 56 hours can be used in any given fiscal year.  Beyond 56 hours, requirements under other University leave policies apply.

Eligible employees who are rehired by the University within 6 months of termination may use any accrued but unused safe/sick time from their prior position at Columbia, but are subject to the 56 hour maximum per fiscal year.

Any accrued but unused safe/sick time under this policy will not be paid out upon termination. Upon termination for any reason, any unused safe/sick time under this policy will be recorded and if the employee is rehired within 6 months of termination, the prior accrued time will be reinstated and can be used at any time.

In accordance with the University policy on time records, all academic personnel, officers of administration and support staff will track use of their safe/sick time under this policy through the People@Columbia (PAC) NY Sick Leave tracker. Individuals who work in departments that utilize Kronos will continue to track their time in that system.

Variable Hour Officers and Casuals will continue to track their NY Safe and Sick Leave accruals and use on their bi-weekly timesheets.

Employees are protected from retaliatory action or from being subject to any adverse personnel action for exercising or attempting to exercise their rights under this policy.  Any employee who believes they have been subjected to retaliatory action in violation of this policy should report such action immediately to the EOAA.  The University will promptly investigate any claims of retaliatory action and take any necessary corrective action where appropriate.

Workplace Essentials: Manage Your Time Off

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Sick Leave

New York State Paid Family Leave