MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Planned Protected Time Off Law expansion goes into effect, mayor vows to pursue businesses who don’t comply

Friday, Feb. 20, marked the 51st day of Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city’s finances. Here’s a summary of what the mayor did today.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Friday that New York City would expand its requirements for protected time off and crack down on employers where workers take little to no sick leave annually.

Friday’s changes, made under Local Law 145, require employers to make an additional 32 hours of unpaid protected time off available immediately upon hire and again at the start of each calendar year.

It also expands the reasons employees may use protected time off to include childcare, caring for a family member with a disability, attending benefits or housing appointments or hearings, staying home during declared public emergencies, and addressing needs “related to workplace violence.”

Former Mayor Eric Adams previously vetoed Local Law 145, but the City Council overrode the veto in December 2025. The city sent 56,000 compliance warnings to employers across the city on Friday, alerting them of the new protections and enforcement mechanisms.

In addition to the law’s enactment, Mamdani announced that the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will begin an “enforcement blitz,” sending letters to all restaurants, prior DCWP enforcement targets, and DCWP licensees across the city.

“New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between doing their job and caring for their family, protecting their safety, or keeping their housing secure. Today, we’re putting employers on notice,” Mamdani said at a Feb. 20 news conference in Queens. “When life happens, your job shouldn’t be the thing that falls apart.”

The letters, according to Mamdani, outline the law’s requirements, employee notice obligations, and punishment for violations. Employers who violate the law may face penalties and employee relief ranging from $250 to $2,500 per employee, plus back pay, according to the city.

The city’s Protected Time Off Law, established in 2014 and formerly known as the Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, establishes that most employees in New York City have the right to up to 40 or 56 hours of paid protected time off per year, depending on the size of the company or organization. Under the Protected Time Off Law, employers are required to provide 20 hours of paid prenatal leave in addition to protected time off.

To enact the planned enforcement measures, Mamdani announced that the city would be adopting a “data-driven enforcement strategy” that will identify companies with “unusually low” paid time off use rates, which DCWP will treat as “strong evidence of potential violations” and “pursue enforcement on behalf of all affected employees.”

“New York City has some of the nation’s strongest protected time off laws, and now they are even stronger. This makes all the difference for working New Yorkers facing a child care emergency or anything else life throws at us,” DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine said at the news conference. “By expanding protected time off and ensuring immediate access to additional hours, we are building an economy that puts people over profits.”

The DCWP released a report on Friday in conjunction with the new requirements and enforcement mechanisms, asserting that the need to use sick leave is “universal across industries and demographics,” laying the groundwork for its new enforcement plan.

According to the city, employers that fail to offer enough protected time off will be required to pay each affected employee at least $500 per year, plus an equal amount to the city in civil penalty.

“These expansions respond to the real challenges New Yorkers face, from the rising cost of child care to extreme weather emergencies,” Mamdani said. “No one should have to choose between caring for themselves or their loved ones and keeping their job.”

Mamdani made the announcement after sitting with 12 Amazon workers attempting to unionize for a roundtable about the problems they face when seeking paid leave.

Weather: Mamdani preps for another snowstorm

Mamdani also began bracing on Friday for what could shape up to be his second major snowstorm in office. New York City is expected to see six to 10 inches of snow starting Sunday evening and stretching into Monday morning, with wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour.

Though daytime temperatures are expected to reach the upper 30s, Sunday night temperatures will likely dip into the twenties — providing plenty of cold for snow to fall Sunday into Monday.

“Crews are preparing, and we’ll be monitoring conditions closely,” Mamdani wrote in a Friday post to X. “If you can, give yourself extra time to travel, check in on neighbors—especially seniors—and take it slow out there.”

The storm will hit New York City as it recovers from a weekslong cold snap that lasted from mid-January into early February. The cold led to the deaths of 20 New Yorkers, leading some elected officials to question the Mamdani administration’s weather response.