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Cuomo Vetoes Bill on 12 Weeks of Paid Bereavement Leave

Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have guaranteed up to 12 weeks of paid bereavement leave – a move The Business Council of Westchester had urged the governor to make.

The 12 weeks of leave could have been taken at any time, and benefits would have been funded from a pool created by deductions from workers’ paychecks. Mr. Cuomo estimated that the new benefit could have more than doubled the cost of the existing program, according to WSJ.com.

The BCW was part of a statewide coalition that had urged the governor to veto the bill, co-signing a letter to the governor with business groups across New York.

“This bill would have hurt small businesses, and furthermore, it was not necessary because most employers already have their own bereavement work schedule,” said John Ravitz, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the BCW. “We applaud the governor for recognizing the flaws in this legislation and vetoing the bill.”

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