ALBANY, N.Y. — As of Wednesday, a new law in New York guarantees that pregnant employees will receive a minimum of 20 hours of paid leave for attending prenatal medical appointments.
This groundbreaking initiative, championed by Governor Kathy Hochul, positions New York as the pioneering state to implement paid leave specifically for prenatal care.

Under this legislation, all female employees in the private sector who are expecting can take advantage of this paid time off.
The leave can be utilized for a variety of pregnancy-related medical visits, including routine check-ups, end-of-pregnancy care, fertility treatments, and more.

Governor Hochul emphasized the need for this policy during the last legislative session, aiming to address and mitigate the rising instances of maternal and infant mortality within the state.
“No pregnant woman in New York should be forced to choose between a paycheck and a check-up — and that’s why I pushed to create the nation’s first paid prenatal leave policy,” she stated in a prior announcement.

Additionally, the law stipulates that employers cannot request any medical documentation when an employee seeks to utilize this paid leave for prenatal purposes.
It is important to note that this policy operates independently and is distinct from any other sick leave policies that an employer may already have in place.
However, spouses of expecting mothers will not qualify for this specific type of prenatal leave.