Over 10,000 unrepresented New York State employees are eligible to receive 12 weeks of paid parental leave
Governor Kathy Hochul this week launched a nation-leading initiative to offer fully paid paternity leave benefits to New York State employees. She announced in a policy bulletin that more than 10,000 unrepresented state employees will be eligible to receive 12 weeks of fully paid leave to use to bond with a newborn, foster or adopted child. Most employees will be able to take time off starting today.
“The dedicated New Yorkers who keep our state moving should not be forced to choose between a paycheck and child care, and this policy will set New York State as a model for helping working families,” he said. Governor Hochul. “My administration is committed to giving our public servants the support they need because it’s not only good for their families, it’s good policy.”
Despite the well-documented positive benefits of paid parental leave for maternal and child health, as well as family economic security and workforce retention, the United States is the only developed country in the world without a national parental leave policy. paid. New parents and caregivers rely on a patchwork of various federal, state, and local leave policies, in addition to employer-sponsored benefits.
Governor Hochul first announced this initiative as part of her 2023 State of the State. Since then, the Office of Employee Relations (OER) and the Department of Civil Service have worked to establish the program and make it available to employees. unrepresented state workers. Under the policy issued today, all unrepresented executive branch employees who work full-time or work at least 50 percent part-time are eligible for this benefit, with eligibility beginning on their first day of service. OER will continue to engage state unions in extending this benefit to their employees through collective bargaining.
“Paid parental leave will make a significant difference for working families by helping parents care for their children without fear of losing a paycheck. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, I look forward to working with our union partners to extend fully paid paternity leave to the New York State workforce,” said Office of Employee Relations Director Michael Volforte
New York has long been a leader in parental and family leave benefits, enacting the state’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) law in 2016. In 2021, Governor Hochul signed legislation expanding the law to include child care. a seriously ill brother.
Posted on February 16, 2023
