It's the Law:
Leaving work for prenatal appointments
You know you're going to be seeing a lot of your healthcare provider during your pregnancy, but how should you handle leaving work for your prenatal visits? Depending on whether you're a salaried or an hourly employee and how your employer handles medical appointments in general, you may have a few options. You may be able to take the time out of your workday as long as you're getting your work done, forgo your lunch hour for the day, or "clock out" during your appointment and make up the time you missed. None of these options should require you to use vacation time.
If none of these options work in your situation, you should be able to use any paid sick leave or unspecified paid time off ("PTO") you've accrued to cover time away for medical appointments. If you're covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, you can use a portion of your unpaid, job-protected FMLA leave to cover prenatal visits.
To learn about your options, read your employee handbook or ask your HR department about your employer's policies and benefits. You can also contact your state labor department and fair employment practices department (see the government section of a local telephone book) to find out if your state has its own laws regarding pregnancy or prenatal care leave ↓
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