New York and New York City have recently passed laws expanding benefits for pregnant and postpartum employees. These laws provide for additional paid time off for prenatal care and paid lactation breaks in the workplace.

Paid Prenatal Leave, Effective Jan. 1, 2025: Bill No. A08805C

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, New York employers are required to provide 20 hours of paid time off, in addition to employees’ existing Paid Sick and Safe Leave, to employees for prenatal care or any medical care related to pregnancy every 52-week period, making New York the first state in the nation to offer paid leave for these purposes. All employees working for private-sector employers are covered by the Paid Prenatal Leave law, regardless of part-time status.

The law amends N.Y. Labor Law Section 196-b, New York’s Paid Sick and Safe Leave law, and allows employees to take up to twenty (20) hours of paid time off for “leave taken for the health care services received by an employee during their pregnancy or related to such pregnancy, including physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring and testing, and discussions with a health care provider related to the pregnancy.” N.Y. Labor Law § 196-b(4-a). The FAQs clarify that fertility treatment or care appointments, including in vitro fertilization, as well as end-of-pregnancy care appointments, are also covered health care services under the law. While Paid Prenatal Leave cannot be taken for postnatal or postpartum appointments, employees can...

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