Client Alert: New York Employees Are Now Entitled to Paid Prenatal Leave

Effective January 1, 2025, employers will be required to provide New York employees with up to 20 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal appointments in the time leading up to childbirth. The amendment defines paid prenatal leave as any leave taken by an employee for health care services during or related to their pregnancy, including:

• Physical exams
• Medical procedures
• Monitoring and testing
• Discussions with a health care provider related to pregnancy

The law applies to all employers with employees in New York regardless of company size and employee headcount, and applies to both full-time and part-time employees. Employees can take this leave in hourly increments and employers must pay employees their standard rate of pay. Employers are not required to pay an employee for any unused prenatal personal leave at the time of separation from employment. This leave is in addition to the New York Paid Sick Leave Law.

Action items for employers with New York employees:

• Review and update current leave policies to reflect this new law before January 1, 2025.?

Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions or if you would like support on this or other employment related matters. Feel free to share this with anyone in your network who may find it helpful.