New York Paid Prenatal Leave, Explained for Expecting Parents

If you are pregnant and working in New York

Pregnancy comes with a lot of appointments. Checkups, scans and tests often land in the middle of the workday, and many people burn through sick days or vacation before the baby even arrives. New York added a separate bank of time for exactly this.

Since January 1, 2025, the New York State Paid Prenatal Leave Law (part of Labor Law Section 196-b) gives 20 hours of paid prenatal leave per year to private-sector employees. The state fact sheet says this includes full-time and part-time workers, workers who are exempt from overtime, and employees of nonprofits. Federal, state and local government employees are not covered by this state law.

There is no waiting period. The state says you do not need to work a minimum number of hours first, and new hires have the full 20 hours as soon as they are hired. You are paid at your regular rate, or at the minimum wage for your job, whichever is greater.

What counts, and what does not

The leave is for pregnancy-related health care appointments. The state Department of Labor fact sheet lists these examples:

• Physical examinations
• Medical procedures
• Monitoring
• Testing
• Discussions with a health care provider needed to ensure a healthy pregnancy
• End of pregnancy care
• Fertility treatment (the ny.gov FAQ names IVF as an example)

How the 20 hours work in real life

You can use the leave by the hour. If a checkup takes one hour and you can work the rest of the day, you use one hour and go back to work. That makes 20 hours stretch further than it sounds.

The 52-week period starts the first day you use the leave, not on January 1. Unused hours do not carry over to the next 52-week period. The ny.gov FAQ adds that unused hours can be used for a second pregnancy inside the same 52-week window.

You ask for prenatal leave the same way you ask for other paid time off at your job, and the state encourages giving notice ahead of time. You do not have to tell your employer what kind of appointment it is, and your employer cannot ask for your medical records or personal health details.

Two limits matter. First, the leave is only for the pregnant employee. The state says a spouse, partner or other support person who goes with you cannot use prenatal leave for that appointment. Second, it cannot be used for health care after the pregnancy, so your postpartum checkups need a different kind of leave. The guide to Paid Family Leave, disability and FMLA in New York covers what comes after the birth.

Partners, sick leave and New York City

Paid prenatal leave comes in addition to your regular sick leave. Under state rules, your employer cannot make you use one type of leave instead of another when more than one fits, and cannot cut your sick leave or vacation because you used prenatal leave.

New York State paid sick leave can be used for your own care, including preventive care, and for a family member you are caring for or helping with care. Whether a partner can use sick leave to come to a prenatal visit depends on how your employer applies that rule, so ask HR.

New York City is clearer. The city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) says a non-pregnant parent cannot use paid prenatal leave, but can use protected time off (safe and sick leave) to attend a family member's prenatal appointment. After amendments that took effect February 22, 2026, NYC employers must also give 32 hours of unpaid protected time off in addition to paid leave. In NYC, call 311 and ask for "Protected Time Off" with questions.

Does a meeting with your doula count?

The official lists describe health care appointments and discussions with a health care provider. A doula is not a health care provider. Doulas give non-medical support: information, comfort and help preparing for birth. The official pages reviewed for this guide do not mention doula visits at all, so do not assume your prenatal leave covers them. Ask your HR team before you count on it.

Many doulas are flexible about timing and can meet in the evening or on a weekend. The Northeast Doulas post on what happens at a doula prenatal visit explains what those meetings are for and what to ask.

At Northeast Doulas, a labor doula "will walk you through the remainder of your pregnancy with guidance and education around what to expect and how to prepare." When you talk with a doula, ask when prenatal meetings usually happen so you can plan around work.

If something goes wrong, or you work in Connecticut

Retaliation is against the law. The state lists examples such as cutting your other leave, changing your hours or work location after you ask, or firing or demoting you. You can file a complaint with the NY Department of Labor at 1-888-52-LABOR. For pregnancy discrimination, the state points to the NYS Division of Human Rights at 1-888-392-3644. The ny.gov FAQ also notes that other laws, such as the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, may give you more options.

If your job is in Connecticut, New York's law is not the one to look at. The official Connecticut pages reviewed for this guide do not describe a separate prenatal hours bank. CT Paid Leave does list prenatal appointments among pregnancy-related reasons, and it allows up to 2 extra weeks of benefits for incapacity during pregnancy. Connecticut paid sick leave can also be used for preventive medical care. See the Connecticut leave guide for details.