The Seattle City Council voted unanimously Monday to offer city employees up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, rather than the four weeks they are offered now.
Mayor Ed Murray had asked for the change. It was less than two years ago that the council approved the existing benefit for new parents, making Seattle the first city in the Pacific Northwest and one of the first cities in the country to offer paid parental leave.
Employees will become eligible for 12 weeks after working for the city for six months. The benefit will apply not only to births but also to placements of children into homes through adoption, foster care and legal guardianship.
The leave will need to be used within 12 months of a birth or a placement.
“No person should be forced to choose between their job and caring for their family,” Murray said in a statement, urging local businesses “to follow our lead.”
Monday’s legislation will also give city employees a new benefit — up to four weeks of paid leave to care for family members with serious health conditions.
The four weeks will be available every 12 months, and employees would need to first use some sick leave and vacation leave.
[For more of this story, written by Daniel Beekman, go to http://www.seattletimes.com/se...paid-parental-leave/]
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