Expecting in NY? New prenatal leave benefits take effect with the new year.

Taking off from work for the many prenatal appointments needed during pregnancy can be a challenge. But a new state law taking effect on Jan. 1 aims to ensure pregnant New Yorkers don’t have to miss out on a paycheck to get to the doctor.

Under the first-in-the-nation state law , all full- and part-time pregnant workers in New York are entitled to 20 hours of paid leave a year for prenatal care, in addition to their regular sick days. The time off can be used for physical exams, medical procedures, fertility treatment and other services. “No pregnant woman in New York should be forced to choose between a paycheck and a check-up,” Gov.



Kathy Hochul said in signing the measure. Prenatal leave must be granted when an employee requests it, and employers are barred from reducing other benefits to compensate, according to the state’s fact sheet on the law. Only private-sector employers are covered by the law, but no company is exempt because of its size.

Prenatal care can be a key factor in determining an infant’s health, including whether a baby is born prematurely — an outcome that has been on the rise in the state and across the country. In New York, about 14% of babies were born to people who received inadequate prenatal care last year, according to data from the maternal and infant health nonprofit March of Dimes. Inadequate prenatal care is defined as care starting in the fifth month of pregnancy or later, or amounting to less than half of the recommended number of visits.

“We’d like to see that number be smaller,” said Darcy Dreyer, director of maternal and child health at March of Dimes. She said one barrier to access to care is that some people live in parts of the state where they have to travel further to get to their health care provider. Prenatal care is the latest addition to New York’s suite of family leave benefits.

Since 2018, the state has also required employers to offer new parents paid family leave. In 2025 , eligible New Yorkers will be entitled to at least 12 weeks of leave, paid out at 67% of an employee’s average weekly income..