What the waiting period is
In New York, cash wage-replacement benefits are not payable for the first seven calendar days of disability. This waiting period applies to the lost-wage benefit, not to medical care – your authorized medical treatment should be covered from the start regardless of the seven days.
The seven days do not have to be consecutive in every case, and the rule is about lost time from work, so it matters most when your injury keeps you out.
When the first week gets paid
If your disability extends beyond a certain length, the waiting period is paid back. Under New York’s rule, when lost time goes past fourteen days, you become entitled to compensation for those first seven days as well. So a longer absence means the initial week is not simply lost.
Keep a clear record of every day you are out of work, because the count of lost days drives both when benefits begin and whether the first week is reimbursed.
What to do during week one
Keep treating with an authorized provider and make sure your out-of-work status is documented in the medical records. Stay in contact with your employer about your status, and keep your own log of missed days.
If checks do not start when you expect, the medical proof of lost time is what supports them. Do not assume the silence of the first week means your claim is in trouble – the waiting period is normal.