Martha Merrow

This bill would require employees to give at least 15 days notice for postpartum or pediatric appointments, and would allow employers to deny job reinstatement post-leave. This would disproportionately target women and lead to worse outcomes for mothers, infants, and families. Women are already leaving the workforce at a concerning rate due to the increasing costs of childcare, and this measure would make it even harder for parents to provide for their families in New Hampshire. And frankly, it feels completely unreasonable to provide 3 business weeks' notice for every single postpartum and pediatric appointment, especially since this bill has nothing to say about emergencies. Interesting side note: the sponsor of this bill talks about how he was inspired to do more good in the world after his son was born and needed an emergency transfer to Dartmouth Children's. I imagine giving his employer 15 days notice wasn't top of mind at the time.