Paid Prenatal Leave Policy

Policy Statement

In addition to New York State Paid Sick and Safe Leave, Adelphi University (the “University”) provides an additional twenty (20) hours of paid leave to full-time and regular part-time non-faculty pregnant employees for prenatal care, in addition to their existing sick leave. This prenatal leave is not accrued and can be used under certain conditions, as required by New York State law and herein.

Reason for Policy

New York’s Paid Prenatal Leave Law, which went into effect January 1, 2025, provides employees with twenty (20) hours of paid leave time per 52-week period to be used by pregnant employees for prenatal healthcare services during their pregnancy or as related to their pregnancy. This leave time is in addition to other leave options available to employees.

Who Is Governed by this Policy

Non-union full-time, part-time, hourly and student employees directly receiving prenatal health care services. All benefits, terms, and conditions of employment for unionized members of the University’s workforce are governed by the employee’s applicable collective bargaining agreement. Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement should contact their union representative regarding such benefits.

Policy

Adelphi University recognizes that employees will need medical care related to their pregnancy that may necessitate their absence from work. Employees can use up to twenty (20) hours for this leave in a 52-week period to cover health care services they receive during their pregnancy or related to such pregnancy, including:

• Physical examinations;
• Medical procedures;
• Monitoring and testing;
• Discussions with a health care provider related to the pregnancy;
• Fertility treatment or care appointments, including in vitro fertilization; and
• End-of-pregnancy care appointments.

This leave does not include post-natal or postpartum appointments, though other leave time available to employees can be used for these purposes.

Non-union full-time employees, part-time, hourly and student employees are covered.

Paid Prenatal leave time can only be utilized in hourly increments. Employees will be paid their normal rate of pay for any paid leave time under this law, or the applicable minimum wage rate, whichever is greater. Use of paid prenatal personal leave is not considered hours worked for purposes of calculating overtime.

The University will not require the disclosure of confidential information as a condition of providing paid prenatal personal leave.

When does a 52-week period begin? The first time an employee uses Paid Parental Leave begins the 52-week period for that employee. Meaning that the 52-week period commences on the day the first leave time is taken (see defined below).

All full-time, part-time, hourly and student employees who are directly receiving prenatal health care will be credited with twenty (20) hours of paid prenatal leave. A spouse, partner, or another support person attending prenatal appointments with a pregnant person is not entitled to Paid Prenatal Leave. This time does not accrue or require that an employee work at the University for any minimum amount of time before accessing Paid Prenatal Leave. If an employee requires more than twenty (20) hours of prenatal leave in a 52-week period, they will need to use other leave time available. Unused prenatal leave time is not payable upon termination of employment.

Enforcement and Retaliation

Employees will not be discharged, threatened, penalized, or in any other manner discriminated or retaliated against because they have exercised their rights to request and use sick leave or prenatal personal leave under this policy and applicable law.

Definitions

• 52-week period: the 52 consecutive weeks following the first day an employee uses Paid Prenatal leave. For example, if an employee begins using their prenatal leave for an appointment on May 15th, the 52-week period begins May 15th of that year and ends on May 14th the following year. Once that period expires, any unused portion of the twenty (20) days is lost, and the employee is allotted another twenty (20) hours for future use.
• Prenatal care: health care services received by an employee during their pregnancy or related to such pregnancy, including physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring and testing, and discussions with a health care provider related to the pregnancy. It also covers fertility treatment or care appointments, including in vitro fertilization, and end-of-pregnancy care appointments.

Procedures

Prenatal leave time must be documented on the PTO portal in eCampus and will auto populate on the timesheet for non-exempt employees.

Forms

This policy does not have related forms at this time. Upon periodic policy review this area will be evaluated to determine if additional information is needed to supplement the policy.

Related Information

The New York State Paid Prenatal Leave website has more information on this required policy.

Document History

• Last Reviewed Date: March 10, 2025
• Last Approval Date: March 10, 2025
• Policy Origination Date: March 10, 2025
• Policy Reviewed by Executive Leadership

Who Approved This Policy

Executive Leadership