New York State Paid Prenatal Leave Law

New York State Paid Prenatal Leave Law

 New York State Prenatal Leave Law 

In today’s evolving workplace, staying informed on New York’s new Paid Prenatal Leave policy is essential for employers. Our latest article offers a clear, detailed breakdown of the new requirements and what they mean for your organization. This resource is designed to equip businesses with the knowledge they need to remain compliant and support their employees effectively.

 

 What To Know:  

New York has recently added a new Paid Prenatal Leave policy, the New York State Parental Leave Law (NYS Labor Law Section 196-b).   Under this new policy, any privately-employed pregnant New Yorker will be able to receive an additional 20 hours of paid sick leave for prenatal care in addition to their existing sick leave including those that work part-time or are overtime exempt, ensuring they can receive the care they need without putting their employment at risk.

 

 Who Does This Apply To?  

Only the employee directly receiving prenatal health care may use Paid Prenatal Leave. A spouse, partner, or another support person attending prenatal appointments with a pregnant person is not entitled to Paid Prenatal Leave. Health care appointments after pregnancy are not covered by Paid Prenatal Leave.

 

 What is Paid Prenatal Leave Policy?  


Paid Prenatal Leave is measured in 52-week periods. An employee is entitled to 20 hours beginning on the date they first utilize the leave and ending 52 weeks later.

For example, if an employee uses Paid Prenatal Leave for the first time on June 1st, 2025, they are entitled to 20 hours of Paid Prenatal Leave between June 1st, 2025, and May 31st, 2026. If after May 31st, 2026, that same employee next needs to use Paid Prenatal Leave on August 2nd, 2026, that date would trigger the start of 52 weeks for which the employee is entitled to 20 hours Paid Prenatal Leave. Unused benefit hours do not carry over to the following 52-week period and all employees, regardless of how long they have been with the employer, are entitled to 20 hours of leave.

 

 How to Set this Up in Your Account?  

Our recommendation is to create an accrual policy for this category that does not accrue time. With this approach, you would grant the 20 hours to the employees at the time of their initial time-off request. Please reach out to your assigned payroll specialist or to the payroll department at: payroll@greenleafbizsolutions.com to implement this policy for your New York employees or would like additional information regarding the implementation of this policy.

Helpful Link:

For additional details on this law, please visit the official website at: https://www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-paid-prenatal-leave

 

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