Pursuant to the New York Paid Prenatal Leave Law (the “PPL Law”), beginning on January 1, 2025, New York employers must provide employees with 20 hours of paid leave for prenatal healthcare service appointments during their pregnancy or related to pregnancy (“Paid Prenatal Leave”) in a 52-week period. The PPL Law amends the New York State Sick Leave Law.

Paid Prenatal Leave can be used for prenatal health care services including physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring and testing, and fertility treatment or care appointments, including in vitro fertilization. Paid Prenatal Leave may only be used by the employee directly receiving prenatal health care services, and employers cannot require employees to submit documentation to support the need for Paid Prenatal Leave.

The New York Department of Labor recently issued anticipated guidance (the “FAQs”) regarding the PPL Law.

The FAQs clarify that Paid Prenatal Leave is a separate benefit from paid sick leave and leave provided by other employment policies, meaning that employers must provide 20 hours of Paid Prenatal Leave in addition to the leave the employer already provides. While prenatal health care appointments may be covered by New York paid sick leave, Paid Prenatal Leave, or another leave policy, the FAQs note that “an employer cannot require an employee to choose one leave type over another or require an employee to exhaust one type of leave before using Paid Prenatal Leave.”

The new Paid Prenatal Leave requirements apply to all private-sector employers regardless of size, and all employees are eligible, regardless of how long they have worked for the employer or their part-time or exempt status. Further, Paid Prenatal Leave does not accrue. Employees are automatically entitled to the full 20 hours of Paid Prenatal Leave, and the 52-week period for an employee begins the first time an employee uses Paid Prenatal Leave. Similar to New York paid sick leave, employers have no obligation to pay departing employees for any unused Paid Prenatal Leave benefits.

New York employers should prepare for the start of Paid Prenatal Leave by updating their policies and informing HR, benefits, and other stakeholders about the new benefit and how to administratively respond to requests. 

Photo of Lindsay Burke Lindsay Burke

Lindsay Burke co-chairs the firm’s Employment Practice Group and regularly advises U.S., international, and multinational employers on employee management and culture issues and international HR compliance. She is a key member of the firm’s Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility practice, working together with…

Lindsay Burke co-chairs the firm’s Employment Practice Group and regularly advises U.S., international, and multinational employers on employee management and culture issues and international HR compliance. She is a key member of the firm’s Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility practice, working together with white collar colleagues to conduct culture assessments, internal investigations of executive misconduct, and civil rights and racial equity audits and assessments. Lindsay has been at the forefront of the changing workplace issues impacting employers in the U.S. in the last decade, including #MeToo, Covid-19, and the renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She frequently advises employers in relation to their processes and procedures for investigating complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and trains executive teams and board members on culture risk and the lawful implementation of DEI programs.

Lindsay also guides employers through the process of hiring and terminating employees and managing their performance, including the drafting and review of employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, separation agreements, performance plans, and key employee policies and handbooks. She provides practical advice against the backdrop of the web of state and federal employment laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the False Claims Act, with the objective of minimizing the risk of employee litigation. When litigation looms, Lindsay relies on her experience as an employment litigator to offer employers strategic advice and assistance in responding to demand letters and agency charges.

Lindsay works frequently with the firm’s privacy, employee benefits and executive compensation, corporate, government contracts, and cybersecurity practice groups to ensure that all potential employment issues are addressed in matters handled by these groups. She also regularly provides U.S. employment law training, support, and assistance to start-ups, non-profits, and foreign parent companies opening affiliates in the U.S.

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Photo of Evan Parness Evan Parness

Evan Parness, vice chair of the firm’s Employment Practice Group, has a full-service labor and employment practice that includes litigating cutting-edge issues at the trial and appellate levels, negotiating employment aspects of complex M&A deals and other business transactions, and counseling global employers…

Evan Parness, vice chair of the firm’s Employment Practice Group, has a full-service labor and employment practice that includes litigating cutting-edge issues at the trial and appellate levels, negotiating employment aspects of complex M&A deals and other business transactions, and counseling global employers on compliance with national, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

Evan represents employers and senior executives in non-compete, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, ERISA, and business tort litigation in state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and alternative dispute resolution bodies. He has secured significant trial and appellate victories for clients, including complete dismissals of discrimination and retaliation lawsuits, successful verdicts following trial, and injunctive relief on behalf of clients enforcing restrictive covenants.

Evan also counsels established and emerging companies on compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, and litigation avoidance measures in connection with all aspects of workplace employment issues. He conducts sensitive internal investigations of alleged discrimination and harassment, and assists employers in shaping workplace policies to comply with law and promote a productive working environment.

Evan advises leading companies on the labor and employment aspects of significant business transactions and acquisitions. He negotiates employment-related provisions in business transaction documents and oversees due diligence of a potential target’s employment practices. He also counsels clients on executive employment and restrictive covenants agreements.

Chambers USA notes “Evan is an exceptional and talented lawyer. He possesses a deep understanding of the law and an unwavering commitment to his clients. He has a keen eye for detail and can dissect complex legal issues with remarkable efficiency. His thorough and methodical approach to each case ensures that no stone is left unturned, providing his clients with the best possible legal representation.”

The Legal 500 US notes that clients have commented that “Evan Parness is an amazing attorney. Always attentive and will take instructions outside of business hours, he is always there when we need him and looks for the best outcome for clients.”

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Photo of Michelle York Michelle York

Michelle Barineau York advises U.S. and multinational employers on a broad spectrum of employment law matters. She regularly counsels employers on wage and hour compliance, employee classification, pay equity, and leave-related issues, and she drafts and negotiates key employment documents, including employment agreements…

Michelle Barineau York advises U.S. and multinational employers on a broad spectrum of employment law matters. She regularly counsels employers on wage and hour compliance, employee classification, pay equity, and leave-related issues, and she drafts and negotiates key employment documents, including employment agreements, workplace policies, and separation agreements. Michelle brings substantial experience investigating workplace complaints and frequently partners with white collar colleagues to conduct sensitive internal investigations.

Michelle guides employers through hiring, performance management, and employee terminations, as well as workforce change strategies, including reorganizations, reductions in force, and WARN compliance. She also provides practical, business-focused advice on workplace issues impacting employers, including remote work, employee privacy, and workplace culture, and she offers leading‑edge guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace.

Michelle helps clients navigate matters involving harassment, discrimination, non-competition, and other issues arising under state and federal employment laws including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She relies on her experience as an employment litigator to advise clients when responding to agency charges and demand letters, including whistleblower retaliation complaints, and frequently interacts with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, state and local equal employment opportunity agencies, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Michelle works closely with colleagues in employee benefits and executive compensation and corporate groups to address employment matters arising in mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, and she regularly collaborates with California‑based colleagues on matters implicating California employment law.

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