Voluntary paid leave framework
New Hampshire does not mandate that private employers provide paid sick leave or paid family and medical leave. The state's Paid Family and Medical Leave (NH PFML) program is a voluntary insurance plan available to employers who choose to participate. Employers decide whether to offer paid leave benefits through policy, contract, or collective bargaining agreements.
Source: NH PFML Employers Overview
Jury duty leave — employment protection and remedies
New Hampshire law prohibits employers from depriving an employee of employment, or threatening or coercing the employee, because the employee receives a jury summons, serves as a juror, or attends court for prospective jury service. Employers who violate this prohibition may be held in contempt of court. A discharged employee may bring a civil action within one year to recover lost wages and seek reinstatement; prevailing employees are entitled to reasonable attorney fees. Employers are not required to pay wages during jury service (the state pays jurors $10 per half-day of attendance).
Source: N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 500-A:14; N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 500-A:15
Parental medical leave — 25-hour entitlement for childbirth, postpartum, and pediatric appointments
Effective January 1, 2026, New Hampshire requires employers with 20 or more employees to provide up to 25 hours of unpaid, job-protected leave during the first year following the birth or adoption of a child. Under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 275:37-f, employees may use this leave for:
- The employee's own medical appointments for childbirth or postpartum care, or
- The employee's child's pediatric medical appointments
The 25-hour entitlement is measured per child, not per year. If both parents work for the same employer, they share a combined total of 25 hours for that child's first year; each parent does not receive a separate 25-hour bank.
Covered employers. The statute applies to employers with "20 employees or more." It does not specify whether part-time employees count toward the threshold, how to measure employer size (worksite vs. enterprise-wide), or the measurement period (single point in time, annual average, etc.). It also does not define "employee." Courts interpreting the statute may look to the general definition in RSA 275:4, which covers part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers, though that remains an open question as of this law's effective date.
Leave is unpaid; substitution permitted. The employer is not required to pay wages during the leave. The employee may substitute any accrued vacation or other appropriate paid leave for the unpaid leave hours. The statute does not address how employers should treat salaried employees who take this leave during a week in which they perform some work; employers with salaried employees should consider the separate requirements of RSA 275:43-b (the salary-basis payment rule for salaried employees).
Notice and scheduling. The employee must provide reasonable advance notice and make a reasonable effort to schedule appointments so as not to unduly disrupt the employer's operations. The employer may request documentation to verify the leave is being used for its intended purpose. The statute does not specify what documentation is acceptable.
Reinstatement. When the employee returns from leave, the employer must make the employee's original job available. The statute does not provide an exception for business necessity or other circumstances that might make reinstatement impossible.
Relationship to other leave laws. This leave is separate from federal FMLA, which applies to employers with 50 or more employees and provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for broader reasons including bonding with a new child. Employees may be eligible for both. New Hampshire also requires employers with six or more employees to provide leave for temporary physical disabilities related to pregnancy and childbirth under RSA 354-A:7, VI; that disability leave has no fixed maximum duration and continues as certified by a healthcare provider. Section 275:37-f covers a distinct subset: short-term leave to attend medical appointments (not disability-related absences) during the child's first year, at employers with 20 or more employees.
Source: N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 275:37-f