LifeZette: It is the hardest of times for a family — when a loved one passes away.
It’s also a challenge for businesses that may lose key employees for days at a time when those workers must attend to important family matters and have adequate time to grieve.
But what if a company’s loss of bereaved employees is not for mere days, but for weeks?
In the final days of the New York State Assembly’s 2018 session, it passed a bill adding eight weeks’ bereavement pay to the current paid family leave law — and the bill now heads to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) for his consideration.
A small deduction from every paycheck — reportedly less than two cents for every $10 earned — currently funds basic paid leave for most New York workers (whether public or private workers). The benefit is 50 percent of an employee’s average wage and it is capped at a maximum benefit just under $653, as news station WGRZ noted.
Currently eligible for paid family leave in New York are parents welcoming new children into their home (including foster children), workers caring for a sick relative, or those needing time off before a military deployment.
Bob Confer, president of Confer Plastic of North Tonawanda, New York, says the bill that would add eight weeks of bereavement leave to the present paid leave options is a very bad idea.
“I see the greatest issue would be you’ve got government getting into the business of running people’s business[es] for them,” Confer told WGRZ. MORE
You don’t suppose that any of the legislators who voted for this abusive act have a financial interest in temp agencies? This craziness will be a bonanza for them.
Venezuela, here we come.
https://esd.ny.gov/doing-business-ny
and NY state spent big money on commercials in the heartland trying to convince folks to build their business in NY state.
My employer gave three days off with pay for a first-degree relative, I used it when my mother died along with vacation days.
My boss sent a basket of cut flowers. The bitch ordered two helium-filled balloons tied to the basket’s handle. You can’t fix that much stupid.
Go ahead New York – – strangle that golden goose.
I never received more than 3 days funeral leave and that was only for a top tier relative but seriously, eight weeks? PS, what about dogs & cats, they included?
Someone did the math on how they can charge the employer for this in taxes and fines. This is the only reason NY wants this.
What this doesn’t take into account is how many small / medium businesses take care of loyal employees. A small company can’t function if people are taking 8 weeks off anytime they have a loss or make a family change etc. However they do understand life issues and they generally give you a lot of leeway within reason.
Another reason for businesses to flee NY state, as if there weren’t enough already.
Will NY need 8 weeks of bereavement for all the business loses?
There is an old joke:
“Why haven’t you ever taken time off. Are you afraid the office can’t function without you?”
“No, I’m afraid they will find out that they can.”
If the government would just mandate that all employers keep a money tree in their accounting depts., there would be plenty of money for bereavement leave, sick leave, maternity leave, fuck the dog leave, and fifty two weeks of paid vacation. Money trees can be found in your local Wal-Mart right next to the unicorns.