This week, Allegheny County, PA became the first U.S. county to independently require employers to provide paid parental leave.
The new policy will provide 12 weeks of fully-paid leave to workers who have been employed for a certain period of time with their employer and exempt small businesses with fewer than 15 employees from the requirement. In addition, the policy significantly improves the County’s existing paid sick time law by increasing the amount of leave and the rate at which paid sick leave is earned.
The following is a statement from Jared Make, Vice President of A Better Balance:
“At a time of federal inaction on paid leave, Allegheny County, PA demonstrates how local governments can step in to address the affordability crisis and promote innovative solutions to community, parental, and infant health. Paid parental leave is a critical protection so workers do not need to choose between recovering from birth and bonding with their new children, and putting food on the table. Requiring employers to provide access to paid parental leave will make a world of difference for working people across the County and set a positive example for statewide leadership as they consider the bipartisan proposal to create a statewide paid family and medical leave program.
We also applaud the steps to significantly improve access to paid sick time, so Allegheny County workers are less likely to have to go to work sick or go without pay. A Better Balance looks forward to supporting local leaders as they implement these essential new protections, which will benefit workers, employers, and the County’s 1.2 million residents.”