Workers could take leave for prenatal care, pumping at work, and pregnancy loss
What it does
HB 179 would add leave for state employees to receive prenatal care, up to 20 hours in a state fiscal year with no pay deduction. State agencies would let employees take time off, with no deduction from pay or accrued leave, to express breast milk each time they reasonably need to, until the third anniversary of the date of childbirth or a reproductive loss. For private and public employers with five or more workers, the bill would give employees who have been on the job at least 30 days up to five days off during the three-month period after a reproductive loss, such as a miscarriage, stillbirth, or unsuccessful assisted reproduction procedure. Employers could not require you to use up vacation or sick leave for that time off, and they could not fire you for taking it.
What it means for your community
If you work for the state, you could use up to 20 hours of a state fiscal year for prenatal care without losing pay, and you could take time to pump at work. If you work for a private employer or a city with five or more employees, you could take up to five days off after a pregnancy loss. That time would be unpaid unless you use leave you already have. Your employer could ask you to confirm the loss, but the bill would not let them ask what caused it or demand records about it.
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