NYC Sick Season Ramps Up: What To Know

NEW YORK CITY — During the upcoming flu season, the City will use workers’ sick-leave usage to help identify employers who may block them from taking time off.

The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will compare employers’ sick-leave records with national data to flag unusually low usage.

In a February 2026 report, the agency found half of workers with access to paid sick leave missed at least one workday in a year because of their own illness, injury or disability — a benchmark the City can use alongside other evidence when investigating employers.

What Paid Sick Leave Can NYC Workers Use?

New York City’s Protected Time Off Law, also known as the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, gives workers protected time off for their own illness or medical care, caring for a sick family member.

That also includes certain safety needs involving domestic violence, sexual violence or workplace violence. The law also covers caring for a child, including school holidays and child care disruptions.

Workers can use protected time off for public benefits and housing appointments, certain child-care disruptions, and staying home during extreme weather or other public emergencies.

Employers with 100 or more workers must provide up to 56 hours of paid protected time off each year.

Employers with five to 99 workers generally must provide up to 40 hours of paid time off, while smaller employers face different paid and unpaid requirements.

Workers also receive an additional 32 hours of unpaid protected time off each year under the 2026 changes, along with a separate 20-hour bank of paid prenatal leave.

Employers must provide written policies, post and distribute workers’ rights notices, and keep records of accrued, used and paid protected time off.

They cannot require advance notice when an illness or other need is unforeseeable, and they generally cannot demand documentation unless an employee uses more than three consecutive workdays of leave and the employer’s written policy permits it.

What Should NYC Workers Do Before Calling Out?

Check how the employer’s current leave policy defines sick leave or paid time off, how much time remains available and whether the employer requires notice or documentation.

Workers also should keep their own records of leave requests, approvals and available balances.

Neal Shipley, medical director of Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care, said people should watch how symptoms develop.

A cold typically develops gradually with congestion and sneezing. Flu symptoms often arrive suddenly with fever, chills and body aches.

Allergies can cause clear nasal drainage and itchy eyes but generally do not cause fever. COVID-19 can resemble any of them, he said.

“It's also worth knowing you can have more than one of these at the same time, like allergies on top of a virus, which makes it even trickier to sort out on your own,” Shipley said.

The BRAT diet — bananas, rice, applesauce and toast — has long been the go-to advice for people recovering from vomiting or diarrhea, but doctors no longer recommend sticking to it.

A 2019 clinical trial involving 95 children found no difference in recovery time or bowel movements between children following the BRAT diet and those eating a normal diet.

Shipley said he recommends balanced meals, hydration and sleep to help the body recover.

“Stay home when you're sick, since even mild symptoms can spread quickly,” Shipley said.

People with sudden fever, chills and body aches should consider testing for influenza or COVID-19 early, particularly if they face a higher risk of severe illness, Shipley said.

People over 65, children under 4, pregnant women and those with conditions such as asthma or heart disease face greater risks from respiratory illnesses.

Mild symptoms can often be managed at home with rest, fluids and over-the-counter medicine, he said.

Difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe weakness, confusion, a sudden change in mental status or severe dehydration requires emergency care.

How Can Workers Prevent Sickness?

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the risk of severe illness, complications and hospitalization, Shipley said.

Zinc and vitamin C may help slightly once a cold starts, but neither offers a reliable way to prevent one.

A 2024 Cochrane review found oral zinc may shorten a cold by about two days, although the evidence remains uncertain and side effects such as nausea and stomach upset are more common.

Regular vitamin C use does not prevent colds for most people but may modestly shorten them.

Shipley recommends keeping basic illness supplies at home, including a thermometer, saline spray, cough drops and fever-reducing medication.

“Beyond that, make sure everyone in the family washes their hands frequently, and wipe down surfaces and shared electronics like phones and remotes with a disinfectant wipe,” he said.