By 2018, employers in New York will be required to provide their employees with paid family leave. The federal Family Medical Leave Act requires employers with more than 50 employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain qualifying conditions such as the birth or adoption of a child or for the treatment of a serious health condition. Many states, such as Connecticut, have passed their own medical leave statutes which provide additional leave, on top of the 12 weeks guaranteed by federal law. In addition, those state statutes typically require fewer than than 50 employees for an employer to be covered under the act. Prior to this week, New York did not have its own medical leave statute supplementing the federal FMLA, but on April 4, it joined California, New Jersey and Rhode Island as the only states to offer their employees paid family leave. As part of the state’s 2016-2017 budget, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation which enacts a statewide $15 minimum wage plan and a 12-week paid family leave policy.