Source: Spencer Platt / Getty
When it comes to paid maternity and paternity leave in the U.S., it seems like more of a luxury than the standard. But New York City’s mayor Bill de Blasio is trying to lead by the nation by example, by recently signing one of the most progressive orders in the nation.
At a press conference filled with crying babies, parents and supporters, de Blasio authorized a personal order giving non-union city workers 6 weeks of paid parental leave. This order, which will affect nearly 20,000 people, puts the Big Apple in line Austin and Pittsburg, two cities that have some of the most generous policies in the country, CBS writes.
The order will allow for parents to have the following:
- 6 paid weeks off for 100 percent of their salary.
- This can be combined with accrued sick time, vacation days and other PTO that can max out at 12 weeks full paid time off.
- This order isn’t just for pregnant women, but for new fathers and parents of foster care and adopted children.
- The 6 first weeks must be taken within 24 weeks of becoming a new parent and from the first day taken, parents have 12 weeks to use up their time.
For de Blasio, creating a city that respects new parents and their children not only helps families, but the city as a whole.
“Paid parental leave means healthier and more financially stable families, more effective workplaces, and a stronger and more just city – which everyone can get behind,” de Blasio said with his wife First Lady Chirlane McCray by his side.
He added, “From increased minimum and living wages, to paid sick and parental leave, these policies ensure that New York City will continue to lead the country in fighting for our working families.”
McCray, who is a fierce mental health advocate, believes that paid parental leave also helps strengthen the bond between parents and child, which can positively impact their kid’s overall development.
“The most important job of a new parent is to spend as much time as possible with the baby. Forming a strong bond with an infant has a life-long positive effect on the child’s physical and mental health. Paid parental leave isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s an investment in the future of our city,” she declared.
While this initiative will cost $15 million, taxpayers won’t be feeling the pinch though. Non-union workers will have to give up 2 vacation days and not get as much of a raise in 2017 to pay for it.
de Blasio is currently urging his “city’s much larger unionized workforce, numbering about 300,000 employees, to adopt the benefit through collective bargaining,” CBS notes.
RELATED LINKS:
What You Need To Know About Maternity Leave Before You Accept That Job Offer
Keep It 100: Mayor Bill de Blasio Confirms That ‘Black Wives Matter’ [VIDEO]
Thanks de Blasio! NYC Mayor Gives Non-Union City Workers Paid Parental Leave was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
