news article

Increase to Jury Duty Pay and expiration of NYS COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave

August 1, 2025 / By Tracy Rickett, HR Manager / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Increase to Jury Duty Pay

The daily rate for jury duty for all New York State Courts and for Town and Village courts increased effective June 8, 2025, from $40 to $72.

Employers of more than 10 employees must pay employees the daily rate of $72 or the employee’s wage (whichever is lower) each day for the first three days of jury service. If the employee’s daily wage is less than the jury fee, then the State makes up the difference. The State will pay the jury fee for employees who work for employers of 10 or fewer employees if the jurors are not paid at least the jury fee by their employers. After three days, the State pays the jury fee to employees who are not paid at least the jury fee. For employees who are paid a daily wage that is less than the jury fee the State makes up the difference.

For details on how juror pay works in New York state, see the New York’s Jury Duty Information for Employers and here is a flow chart regarding the jury fee as well. In the FAQs, it also covers use of paid time off, schedule changes, making up lost time, working after jury duty finishes for the day, etc.

As a reminder, exempt employees who perform any work during a week in which they are on jury duty must be paid their full salary under applicable wage and hour laws.

NYS COVID-19 Sick Leave Law expired July 31, 2025

New York State’s COVID-19 paid sick leave law, which has been in effect since March 2020, expired on July 31, 2025. After this date, employees in New York will no longer be entitled to job-protected leave under the state’s COVID-19-specific sick leave provisions. Employers will no longer be required to provide separate paid leave for employees subject to a COVID-19-relatedquarantine or isolation order.

Beginning August 1, 2025, any absences related to COVID-19 must be addressed under other available leave and time-off policies. Churches should review and update their jury duty policies and remove any policies referencing the expired NYS COVID19-specific leave.

If you have questions on the increase to jury duty pay or the expiration of the NYS COVID-19 paid sick leave law, please contact Tracy Rickett, HR Manager, at tracyrickett@unyumc.org or 315-898-2017.