SYRACUSE, NY (CNY Central) — On Jan. 1, New York’s Paid Parental Leave law took effect.
It provides employees with 20 hours of paid leave time per year to be used for prenatal healthcare service appointments during their pregnancy or related to their pregnancy, per the state’s website.
“I’ve had members that have had to make those decisions,” explained Ann Marie Taliercio, President of Local 150 Syracuse, a hospitality worker union. She was referring to the decision many employees make to skip going to a medical appointment instead of missing work.
New York State already has Paid Family Leave that allows for 12 weeks of paid time off for employees. Now, there’s an additional benefit for expecting moms who are worried about the health of their baby and their career.
The state’s brand-new paid prenatal leave initiative provides employees with 20 hours of paid time to go to doctors’ appointments and have prenatal procedures.
“If you don’t need it, yes, you have to pay for it, but it’s there. It’s a safety net,” explained Taliercio, who applauded the message this newly enacted law sends about societal values.
Jared Cook, an employment attorney with Tully Rinckey, PLLC said, “Unlike the Paid Family Leave Law where employees have to accrue time over a period of time, this applies just all at once. It applies to anybody whether they’re a part-time or full-time employees.”
Cook noted that he’s already fielded calls from people on it.
While it’s a win for employees, he said it will come with a learning curve for employers.
Cook said some are already accommodating this type of time off.
