New York State Paid Family Leave (PFL)

​​In accordance with the New York State Paid Family Leave Benefits Law (“PFL”), employees of the auxiliary entities of the Fashion Institute of Technology, namely the Fashion Institute of Technology Foundation (the “Foundation”) and the Fashion Institute of Technology Student Housing Corporation (“SHC”), who work in New York State may request job-protected and partially-paid leave for specific family qualifying events. This policy does not apply to employees of the Fashion Institute of Technology or to the Fashion Institute of Technology Student Association.

Eligibility

Employees who are regularly scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week will become eligible for leave under the PFL after completing 26 consecutive weeks of employment with either the Foundation or SHC. The 26-week period will be tolled during any periods of absence that are due to the nature of that employment, such as semester breaks and other times the Foundation or SHC are customarily closed, and when employment is not terminated during those periods of absence.

Employees who are regularly scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week will be eligible for leave under the PFL after working for 175 days since their most recent hire date with the Foundation or SHC. 

For determining eligibility, the use of scheduled vacation time, personal, sick, holidays, or other time away from work that has been approved by the Foundation or SHC, or other periods where the employee is away from work but is still considered to be an employee by the Foundation or SHC, count as continuous weeks of employment or days worked, as long as the employee contributes to the cost of PFL benefits during such periods of time. Absences during which the employee is receiving disability benefits are not counted as continuous weeks of employment or days worked.
Employees who become eligible for leave under the PFL will remain eligible for the remainder of their period of continuous employment with the Foundation or SHC. In the case of a rehire following a termination of employment, however, employees will be required to satisfy the eligibility criteria again before becoming eligible.

For more information on Paid Family Leave, please review the New York State Paid Family Leave Guidance. 

New York State Disability and Paid Family Leave benefits available to Foundation and SHC employees is provided by Arch Insurance.  To report the need for New York State Disability benefits or New York State Paid Family Leave please contact Human Resources via the HR Solution Center.

PFL Forms 

• 2023 Statement of Rights for Paid Family Leave (.pdf)
  A New York State simplified explanation of your rights updated for 2023
• Employee Opt-Out of Paid Family Leave Benefits Form (.pdf)
  Form that employees who do not work the minimum hours may complete to opt out of the benefit program.
• Claim form: Request Paid Family Leave form to bond with a newly born, adopted, or fostered child (.pdf)
  Employees requiring time-off to bond with a child during the first 12 months following the child’s birth, adoption or foster placement (includes pre-adoption or placement for events required to effectuate adoption or placement in foster care).  The claim form should be submitted to the Office of Human Resources along with the Certification of Health Care Provider for an Employee Request for Family Medical Leave of Absence form (FMLA) as soon as possible.  
• Claim form: Request Paid Family Leave form to care for a family member with a serious health condition (.pdf) 
  Employees requiring time-off to participate in providing care to the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent or grandchild if they have a serious health condition.  This claim form should be submitted to the Office of Human Resources along with the Employee Request for Family Medical Leave of Absence form as soon as possible.
• Claim form: Request Paid Family Leave to provide assistance when a family member if deployed (.pdf)
  Employees who need to address a qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child or parent is on active military duty or has been notified of an impending call to active duty in the United State armed forces. This claim form should be submitted to the Office of Human Resources along with the Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave (FMLA) form as soon as possible.