New Hampshire does not have a general family and medical leave law but pregnancy leave is protected by the state’s equal opportunity law located in Title XXXI, Chapter 354-1 of the New Hampshire Code, and breastfeeding is also protected as described in the sections below of the New Hampshire Code.

354-A:2 Definitions.
In this chapter:

I. "Commercial structure' means any building, structure, or portion thereof which is continuously or intermittently occupied or intended for occupancy by a commercial or recreational enterprise, whether operated for profit or not, and any vacant land which is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location thereon of any such building, structure, or portion thereof.

II. "Commission,' unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context, means the state commission for human rights created by this chapter.

III. "Covered multifamily dwellings' means: (a) Buildings consisting of 4 or more units if such buildings have one or more elevators; and (b) Ground floor units in other buildings consisting of 4 or more units.

IV. "Disability' means, with respect to a person:

(a) A physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities;

(b) A record of having such an impairment; or

(c) Being regarded as having such an impairment. Provided, that "disability' does not include current, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance as defined in the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802 sec. 102).

V. "Dwelling' means any building, structure, or portion thereof which is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a residence by one or more families, and any vacant land which is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location thereon of any such building, structure, or portion thereof.

VI. "Employee' does not include any individual employed by a parent, spouse or child, or any individual in the domestic service of any person.

VII. "Employer' does not include a club exclusively social, or a fraternal, charitable, educational or religious association or corporation, if such club, association or corporation is not organized for private profit, nor does it include any employer with fewer than 6 persons in its employ, but shall include the state and all political subdivisions, boards, departments and commissions thereof.

VIII. "Employment agency' includes any person undertaking to procure employees or opportunities to work.

IX. "Familial status' means one or more individuals, who have not attained the age of 18 years of age, and are domiciled with:

(a) A parent, grandparent or another person having legal custody of such individual or individuals; or

(b) The designee of such parent or other person having such custody, with the written permission of such parent or other person. "Familial status' also means any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years. X. "Labor organization' includes any organization which exists and is constituted for the purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining or of dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or of other mutual aid or protection in connection with employment.

XI. "Multiple dwelling' means 2 or more dwellings, as defined in paragraph V, occupied by families living independently of each other.

XII. "National origin' includes ancestry.

XIII. "Person' includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint-stock companies, trusts, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, and the state and all political subdivisions, boards, and commissions thereof.

XIV. "Place of public accommodation' includes any inn, tavern or hotel, whether conducted for entertainment, the housing or lodging of transient guests, or for the benefit, use or accommodations of those seeking health, recreation or rest, any restaurant, eating house, public conveyance on land or water, bathhouse, barbershop, theater, golf course, sports arena, health care provider, and music or other public hall, store or other establishment which caters or offers its services or facilities or goods to the general public. "Public accommodation' shall not include any institution or club which is in its nature distinctly private.

XIV-a. "Sexual orientation' means having or being perceived as having an orientation for heterosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality. This definition is intended to describe the status of persons and does not render lawful any conduct prohibited by the criminal laws of this state or impose any duty on a religious organization. This definition does not confer legislative approval of such status, but is intended to assure basic rights afforded under this chapter.

XV. "Unlawful discriminatory practice' includes:

(a) Practices prohibited by RSA 354-A;

(b) Practices prohibited by the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (PL 88-352); (c) Practices prohibited by Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. &sec 3601-3619);

(d) Aiding, abetting, inciting, compelling or coercing another or attempting to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce another to commit an unlawful discriminatory practice or obstructing or preventing any person from complying with this chapter or any order issued under the authority of this chapter.

354-A:7 Unlawful Discriminatory Practices.
It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice:

I. For an employer, because of the age, sex, race, color, marital status, physical or mental disability, religious creed, or national origin of any individual, to refuse to hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from employment such individual or to discriminate against such individual in compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification. In addition, no person shall be denied the benefit of the rights afforded by this paragraph on account of that person's sexual orientation.

II. For a labor organization, because of the age, sex, race, color, marital status, physical or mental disability, creed, or national origin of any individual, to exclude from full membership rights or to expel from its membership such individual or to discriminate in any way against any of its members or against any employer or any individual employed by an employer, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification. In addition, no person shall be denied the benefit of the rights afforded by this paragraph on account of that person's sexual orientation.

III. For any employer or employment agency to print or circulate or to cause to be printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for employment or to make any inquiry or record in connection with employment, which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to age, sex, race, color, marital status, physical or mental disability, religious creed or national origin or any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination in any way on the ground of age, sex, race, color, marital status, physical or mental disability, religious creed or national origin, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification; provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall limit an employer after the offer of hire of an individual from inquiring into and keeping records of any existing or pre-existing physical or mental conditions. In addition, no person shall be denied the benefit of the rights afforded by this paragraph on account of that person's sexual orientation.

IV. For any employee to be required, as a condition of employment, to retire upon or before reaching a specified predetermined chronological age, or after completion of a specified number of years of service unless such employee was elected or appointed for a specified term or required to retire pursuant to Pt. II, Art. 78 of the constitution of New Hampshire. It shall not be unlawful for an employer to:

(a) Establish a normal retirement age, based on chronological age or length of service or both, which may be used to govern eligibility for and accrual of pension or other retirement benefits; provided that such normal retirement age shall not be used to justify retirement of or failure to hire any individual; or

(b) Require any individual employee to retire on the basis of a finding that the employee can no longer meet such bona fide, reasonable standards of job performance as the employer may have established.

V. Harassment on the basis of sex constitutes unlawful sex discrimination. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when:

(a) Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment;

(b) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or

(c) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

VI.

(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the word "sex' includes pregnancy and medical conditions which result from pregnancy.

(b) An employer shall permit a female employee to take leave of absence for the period of temporary physical disability resulting from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. When the employee is physically able to return to work, her original job or a comparable position shall be made available to her by the employer unless business necessity makes this impossible or unreasonable.

(c) For all other employment related purposes, including receipt of benefits under fringe benefit programs, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions shall be considered temporary disabilities, and a female employee affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated in the same manner as any employee affected by any other temporary disability.

Breastfeeding

132:10-d Breast-feeding.

Breast-feeding a child does not constitute an act of indecent exposure and to restrict or limit the right of a mother to breast-feed her child is discriminatory.