What does this mean for insurance brokers and business owners in New York?
In January 2025, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul rejected a plan to increase benefits for NYS DBL as part of the budget. At the same time, she accepted a proposal for employers to provide Paid Time Off for prenatal care, making New York the first state to do so.
Prenatal leave pays an employee’s full salary up to 20 hours, roughly 2.5 days that can be taken incrementally within a 52-week period.
Reasons to Take Paid Prenatal Leave
Pregnant workers can take prenatal leave for exams, monitoring, testing, fertility treatment, or end-of-pregnancy care. Workers do not need to disclose the reasons for the leave.
That means if a worker experiences morning sickness lasting until lunch, they can take a half day until the symptoms subside. They can also take two hours in the middle of the day for a doctor’s appointment or ultrasound, for instance.
Who Qualifies for Paid Prenatal Leave?
Paid prenatal leave is available to employees as soon as they are hired. Employers are not allowed to fire or demote employees for requesting paid prenatal leave. Employers cannot reduce the number of hours of paid sick leave or vacation time because a worker requested paid prenatal leave.
Paid prenatal leave is not available to spouses, partners, grandparents or others who may offer support during pregnancy.
What NY Insurance Brokers Need to Know About Paid Prenatal Leave
Much like NYS Paid Sick Leave, Paid Prenatal Leave is not an insurance benefit. It’s employer-funded PTO. Therefore, workers do not need to file an insurance claim.
However, insurance brokers should stay informed to advise clients on how this leave fits into their overall benefits package. By being a trusted resource, brokers strengthen client relationships. When it comes time to re-evaluate employee benefits packages, they will consider your recommendations to close risk gaps. Knowledge is always power.
DBL Center brokers can rely on our team to provide a comprehensive benefit analysis for your clients, opening new revenue streams and ensuring your clients have the coverage they need.
Paid Prenatal Leave vs. Paid Sick Leave vs. PFL vs. DBL: Which Benefit Should an Employee Use?
New York State mandates that employers provide various options for workers who need to time off for various physical and mental health reasons. The chart below summarizes which form of time off an employee should take to maximize their benefits.
Pregnant workers can take either paid prenatal leave or paid sick leave for illnesses or doctor’s appointments related to their pregnancy, and will collect full pay in either case.
Workers can file a DBL claim, with a maximum benefit of $170 per week, for their own illness or injury or to physically recover after childbirth. Pregnant people can claim DBL up to four weeks before their due date and up to six weeks after giving birth (eight weeks for a c-section).
They can also file a PFL claim to care for and bond with their newborn after birth. Workers cannot claim DBL and PFL at the same time, but they can use PFL after DBL ends. Combined, DBL and PFL cannot exceed 26 weeks in a 52-week period.
Why Paid Prenatal Leave Matters
This new benefit empowers pregnant employees to prioritize their health without sacrificing pay or privacy. For business owners, understanding how paid prenatal leave fits alongside existing policies ensures smoother workforce management. By guiding clients through these changes, insurance brokers can add value and reinforce their role as trusted advisors.
Paid Prenatal Leave gives New Yorkers one more tool to balance work and family life while maintaining financial stability — another step toward greater employee well-being in the Empire State.
| Type of Paid Leave / Time Off |
Benefit Amount | Benefit Duration | Allowable Reasons for Leave |
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| Paid Sick Leave | Full pay | Up to 56 hours (incremental) | Illness or injury, preventative care, mental health, caring for a family member who is ill or injured |
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| Paid Family Leave | 67% of employee’s AWW, up to 67% of SAWW | Up to 12 weeks (incremental) | Care for a seriously ill or injured family member; care for and bond w. a newborn, adopted or foster child within first 12 mos.; military spouse deployed |
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| Paid Prenatal Leave | Full pay | Up to 20 hours (incremental) | Preventative care, pregnancy-related illness, fertility treatments, end-of-pregnancy care, monitoring, tests |
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| DBL | 50% of an employee’s AWW, up to $170 per week | Up to 26 weeks | Illness or injury incurred off-the-job, recovery after childbirth |
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| Enriched DBL | 50% to 60% of employee’s AWW, with a higher cap than DBL | Up to 26 weeks | Illness or injury incurred off-the-job, recovery after childbirth |
