South Bend city employees would receive six weeks of paid parental leave under a new plan proposed by Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

He has asked for the policy to be included in the 2018 budget.

The policy would provide eligible city employees with six weeks of 100 percent paid parental leave that may be taken continuously or in weekly increments over a six-month period following the birth or adoption of an employee’s child.

“The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not mandate leave for new parents. Rather than wait for national policy to improve, we can lead by example. We believe the whole community will be better off when City employees can benefit from these family-friendly policies,” said Buttigieg. “We hope other employers in the area consider offering similar plans to their employees.”

The policy would make South Bend one of the first municipalities in the region to offer paid parental leave, according to a city news release.

The policy will be subject to approval of the administration’s 2018 budget.

Buttigieg talked about the proposal at a 12:30 p.m. news conference. Watch a replay on our Facebook page.





Proposed Parental Leave Policy - From the City of South Bend

The City of South Bend offers six weeks of 100% paid parental leave to eligible full-time employees to provide parental care after the birth or adoption of an employee’s child. Paid parental leave is intended to give new parents additional flexibility and time to bond with their new child, adjust to their new family situation, and balance their professional obligations.

Eligibility

• Parental leave is available to all full-time and benefit-eligible employees who have been employed with the City for at least twelve months and have worked at least 1,250 hours during the twelve-month period preceding the leave.

• Parental leave may only be taken following the birth of an employee’s child or for adoption of a minor child (under age 18). An individual who adopts a spouse’s child is not eligible for parental leave.

• Parental leave is available only to employees who are primary caregivers of the newborn or adopted child. Both parents may be primary caregivers.

• Human Resources is responsible for administering this policy and determining eligibility for parental leave.

Benefit Provisions

Parental leave is compensated at 100% of the employee’s regular, straight-time weekly pay and is paid on a biweekly basis on regularly scheduled pay dates. Parental leave does not reduce an eligible employee’s balance of any other paid leave such as sick, vacation, or floating holiday.

Paid parental leave is a benefit of employment and will not be considered as a negative factor in employment actions, such as hiring, promotions, and disciplinary actions.

Parental leave may be taken continuously or in one-week increments within the first six months following the birth or adoption of a child. Parents who choose to take parental leave incrementally must consult with his or her supervisor and make a reasonable effort to schedule incremental parental leave so as not to unduly disrupt the department’s operations.

As with other forms of paid leave, benefits will remain the same while an employee is on parental leave. For example, vacation and sick leave benefits will continue to accrue, the City will continue to pay its share of the cost of an employee’s group health insurance, and the employee’s share of the premium will continue to be deducted from the employee’s pay. Similarly, all deductions from income will continue during parental leave.

If a City-recognized holiday occurs during parental leave, the holiday will be paid. Use of holiday pay, however, does not extend the length of parental leave.

Parental leave runs concurrently with any available FMLA leave for the same qualifying birth/adoption, so any leave taken under this policy that also qualifies as FMLA leave will count toward the twelve weeks of available FMLA in a twelve-month period. Employees on parental leave are ineligible to work alternative employment.

If an employee on parental leave is eligible for short term disability benefits, her short term disability benefits will offset, and are not in addition to, the salary continuation provided under this policy.

If both parents are employed by the City of South Bend, they may take the parental leave concurrently or at separate times, according to their preference.

Parental leave is only available to an employee once in a 12-month period.

Any unused paid parental leave will be forfeited at the end of the six-month time frame. Upon termination, or upon a change in employment status to a position that is not eligible for benefits (e.g., transition from full-time to part-time), unused paid parental leave will not be paid.

Requesting Parental Leave

Employees interested in taking parental leave must provide their supervisor and Human Resources with notice of the anticipated leave at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of the leave (or if the leave is not foreseeable, as soon as possible).