City Council Meeting Date: December 4, 2018
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator Ben Martig
From: Communications & Human Resources Director Michelle Mahowald
Title
Consider Resolution approving a Family and Parental Leave Policy.
Body
Action Requested:
Staff recommends the Northfield City Council approve the attached Resolution Approving Paid Family and Parental Leave as a Council Administrative Policy for the City of Northfield, Minnesota. Note Council must designate which option they are approving.
Summary Report:
The City of Northfield currently provides leaves for maternity or paternity leaves due to birth or adoption of a child and to care for family members with a serious health condition under Family Medical Leave (federal law), Pregnancy and Parental Leave and care for relatives (state law), paid sick, vacation, and compensatory time off leaves that can be used for the other leaves, and related City policies. City staff has provided two Paid Family and Parental Leave Policy options to provide additional paid leave for such circumstances, which would run concurrently with both Family Medical Leave and Pregnancy and Parental Leave.
Providing Paid Family and Parental Leave may help attract and retain employees and may reduce employee turnover. Paid Family and Parental Leave supports Northfield's commitment to being a progressive employer of choice and we will be less likely to lose good employees.
In most cases, employees who are new parents have very little accrued leave available due to being younger and/or newer employees. New parents and caregivers using accrued leave significantly drains their sick and vacation banks, leaving little or no paid time available after they return to work.
Here is the additional process undertaken since the August 21, 2018 City Council Paid Parental Leave discussion:
* Paid Parental Leave informational meetings were conducted with all departments the week of August 27-31, 2018.
* A surve...
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