I received NYS Paid Family Leave via a 1099-MISC. Why is Turbotax considering it self-employment income? What is the workaround here?

I suggest you delete the 1099-MISC you have entered, and anything that was created in the self-employment section and start fresh.

Here is how to report the 1099-MISC:

• Navigate to Federal > Wages & Income > Other Common Income> Form 1099-MISC> Start or Revisit
• Enter the 1099-MISC as printed, Continue
• Describe the reason for this 1099-MISC: "NYS Paid Family Leave" or similar.
• Select None of these uncommon situations apply, then continue
• Select No, it didn’t involve work that's like your main job and continue
• The next screen asks how often you get income from NYS Paid Family Leave.  Select only the year of this specific 1099-MISC, 2024.