HOW DO MY LEGAL RIGHTS CHANGE WHEN I’M PREGNANT OR HAVE KIDS?

Disclaimer: The following is a collection of fact sheets created by government agencies and non-profit organizations. They are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. This sample does not represent a complete list of laws that may apply to your situation, and the law is constantly evolving. Please always consult with an attorney in your area to assess your rights.

DISCRIMINATION IN MEDICAL SETTINGS IS ILLEGAL

• For information about New York State protections, see “Your Rights as a Hospital Patient in New York State” from the New York State Department of Health: https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1449.pdf1449.pdf
• For information about New York City protections, see the Public Accommodation Section in “Protected Classes Factsheet” from the New York City Commission on Human Rights: ProtectedClasses_Factsheet.pdf
• For information about federal protections, see “Know Your Rights Against Discrimination” from the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/knowyourcivilrightsfactsheet.pdf

EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE OF PREGNANCY, CAREGIVING, AND OR FAMILIAL STATUS IS ILLEGAL

For information about New York State protections, see:

• “Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination and Reasonable Accommodation of Pregnancy-Related Conditions for Employers in New York State” from the New York State Division of Human Rights: https://dhr.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/08/nysdhr-guidance-pregnancy-discrimination.pdf
• “Guidance on Familial Status Discrimination for Employers in New York State” from the New York State Division of Human Rights:https://dhr.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/05/guidance-familial-status-employers.pdf

For information about New York City protections, see:

• “Protections Against Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual and Reproductive Health Decisions” from the New York City Commission on Human Rights: https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/media/sexual-repro-health-factsheet.page
• “Pregnancy Accommodations at Work” from the New York City Commission on Human Rights: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/publications/Pregnancy_Factsheet.pdf
• ”Caregiver Factsheet for Employees” from the New York City Commission on Human Rights: https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/media/caregiver-factsheet-for-employees.page
• “Lactation Accommodations” from the New York City Commission on Human Rights: https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/lactation.page

For information about federal protections, see:

• “Pregnancy Discrimination and Pregnancy-Related Disability Discrimination” from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination

• “Employer Best Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities” from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/employer-best-practices-workers-caregiving-responsibilities

For national information about employee rights, see “Workplace Rights Hub” from A Better Balance: https://www.abetterbalance.org/know-your-rights/

MANY PARENTS ARE ENTITLED TO PAID AND/OR UNPAID PRENATAL AND PARENTAL LEAVE

• For information about New York State paid prenatal leave protections, see “Paid Prenatal Leave Law” from the New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/12/p695-paid-prenatal-leave-law-employee-12-10-24.pdf
• For information about New York State paid family leave protections, see New York State Paid Family Leave from New York State
• For information about federal protections, see Family and Medical Leave Act | U.S. Department of Labor from the U.S. Department of Labor

LACTATING PARENTS ARE ALLOWED BREAKS AND DEDICATED SPACE AT WORK TO EXPRESS MILK

• For information about New York State protections, see “Policy on the Rights of Employees to Express Breast Milk in the Workplace (P705)” https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/09/p705-policy-on-the-rights-of-employees-to-express-breast-milk-in-the-workplace_-24-1.pdf
• For information about federal protections, see “FLSA Protections for Employees to Pump Breast Milk at Work” from the U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/73-flsa-break-time-nursing-mothers

For national information about rights of lactating parents, see:

• “Lactation Accommodations” from the Center for Worklife Law: https://pregnantatwork.org/lactation/
• “Lactation Rights at Work: Are Pumping Breaks Paid or Unpaid” from the Center for Worklife Law: https://pregnantatwork.org/wp-content/uploads/Are-Pumping-Breaks-Paid-or-Unpaid.pdf
• “Workplace Lactation Laws” from the Center for Worklife Law: https://pregnantatwork.org/workplace-lactation-laws/

DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING BASED ON FAMILIAL STATUS IS ILLEGAL

• For information about New York state protections, see “A Basic Guide to Fair Housing Under the New York State Human Rights Law” from the New York State Division of Human Rights: https://dhr.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2025/10/fair-housing-protections-hrl-v.-09.2025.pdf
• For information about New York City protections, see “There’s No Room for Housing Discrimination in NYC” from the New York City Commission on Human Rights: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/FairHousing_Poster2017-Eng.pdf
• For information about federal protections, see “Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act” from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: https://www.hud.gov/helping-americans/fair-housing-act-overview