The state of New Hampshire has recently enacted a new budget bill for fiscal year 2026. Within that budget bill was a section creating a new Parental Leave Program. The key aspects of the program are detailed below:

- Employers in NH who employ at least 20 employees will be required to provide 25 hours of unpaid leave for the following purposes:

- Attending medical appointments for an employee’s own childbirth-related reasons or postpartum care;

- Attending pediatric medical appointments for the child of an employee within the first year of birth/adoption;

- This new parental leave applies to full-time and part-time employees only (not temporary or seasonal workers).

- Employers must allow employees to substitute the unpaid leave with any available appropriate PTO;

- Leave under this law is job-protected;

- Employees must provide reasonable notice before use of such leave;

- Employees must make efforts to schedule medical appointments so as not to unduly disrupt the operations of the employer.

This new leave will be available to employees beginning January 1, 2026. Employers should prepare their workplaces for the Parental Leave mandate with an update to their leave policies in their handbooks.