The regulations for paid lactation and prenatal breaks are going to be transformed in New York during the upcoming year. As per the new law to be effective on June 19, 2024, all New York employers must provide paid breaks for lactating employee mothers. At present, employers are only obliged to allow reasonable unpaid break time for these employees. The new legislation, however, stipulates that employers need to allot 30-minute paid breaks whenever an employee needs to express breast milk, extending up to three years following the child’s birth.

Paired with the new paid lactation break law, New York will also be implementing a paid prenatal leave law. Commencing January 1, 2025, private employers will have to allot 20 hours of prenatal leave for pregnant employees. This provision permits pregnant employees to go to prenatal physical consultations and engage in the discussion with healthcare providers linked to the pregnancy. Essentially, this 20 hours of paid leave is extra to the sick, safe and parental leave currently already provided to eligible employees as per New York’s Paid Family Leave law.

Lastly, the COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Law enforced in New York since March 2020 will end on July 31, 2025. The law ensured that employees received guaranteed job-secured, paid leave for a minimum of five or 14 days if they or their dependents were subjected to mandatory quarantine or isolation orders due to COVID-19. However, with quarantine and isolation regulations evolving, this law is now deemed redundant.

For individuals seeking information about Paid Family Leave or require assistance in requesting or receiving leave, the Paid Family Leave website can be your starting point. To get a hold of Paid Family Leave directly, they provide a phone number staffed by representatives trained to help with PFL-related queries. The website eddcaller.com also provides information about how to navigate bureaucratic networks, such as how to contact EDD, or how to reach California Unemployment Customer Service. It helps decode and simplify these sometimes complex systems, making it easier for individuals to get the support they need.