A public hearing Tuesday could shape whether Allegheny County health officials stand by their ambitious plan to mandate more than four months of paid time off for new parents and create one of the strongest parental leave programs in the U.S.
“We want to hear from everyone who has comments they want to share with us, including businesses with concerns,” said Ronnie Das, a spokesman for the county health department. “We are open to adjusting the introduced policy based on the feedback we receive from the community.”
The health department went with 18 weeks because this time frame supports babies’ early development and bonding with parents, while also protecting them during a vulnerable period from respiratory illnesses they’re more likely to pick up in daycares, according to Das.
There are only two major policy limitations: Employees must be at their company for at least 30 days, and they must file their claim within a year of the birth, adoption or foster-placement of a child. Employers would be fully responsible for the costs.
The board of health, a nine-member panel that oversees the agency, voted last month to put the sweeping plan up for public comment through June 16. They’ll vote on the measure as soon as July before passing it along to County Council for a final decision. As written, the proposal has a 180-day runway to enforcement.
The health department went with 18 weeks because of evidence this time frame reduces respiratory illness among babies, supports their early development and allows for a foundational connection with their families, according to Das.
“We thought an ambitious policy was a smart place to start,” Das added.
Mothers also need that time to recover from the physical trauma of giving birth and navigate possible mental health challenges, like postpartum depression, said Jean Stone, an obstetric resource nurse at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.
She’s joined an ad-hoc coalition of medical professionals, maternal health advocates and elected officials in support of the county proposal.
“It’s not a vacation,” Stone said.
‘A different standard’
The U.S. is one of the only countries that does not guarantee some form of paid parental leave, and is the only wealthy nation to lack this benefit, according to UCLA’s World Policy Center. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act does allow for 12 weeks of time away, but it’s unpaid.
Against that backdrop, a patchwork of state and local regulations providing for paid parental leave has emerged.
States that have taken up the cause have imposed terms far less generous to workers than what the Allegheny County Health Department is suggesting, even in places like Massachusetts and Minnesota known for their strong social benefits (Pennsylvania has not enacted such a policy).
All told, 14 states and Washington, D.C., guarantee between eight and 12 weeks of time off with full or partial compensation, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Few counties have even attempted to regulate paid parental leave, and the ones that have pulled it off took a narrower approach than what Allegheny County health officials want.
For instance, California law provides eight weeks of partial pay for those taking parental leave. In San Francisco, the city requires employers to subsidize the rest of workers’ paychecks.
“This would be the most generous that I know of, of either a state- or county-level mandate.” said Emily Wielk, a senior policy analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center who focuses on working families. “It’s interesting to see how that will play out if it does get enacted.”
This duration isn’t as unthinkable as it once was, noted Jared Make, vice president of workplace justice group A Better Balance.
“Nationally, we’re seeing a trend toward proposals with more time provided,” he said. “So, it’s not a surprise to hear that’s what the proposal was, but also know that as things go through legislative and regulatory processes, those details are often up for debate.”
Business fears
Tuesday’s public hearing will likely bring more than just a parade of supporters.
Several business owners and groups representing them have expressed skepticism over the proposal, which they say would unfairly harm their bottom lines.
Few major employers in Allegheny County, if any, offer 18 weeks of paid parental leave — with some, like UPMC, giving no more than two weeks — and it’s virtually unheard of among small businesses.
“There’s no way a company my size could ever afford to do something like this,” said Tim Maloney, owner of Dirt Doctors Cleaning Service in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. “I’m not saying it would bankrupt us, but it would be a huge financial hit for a company like myself to have to pay, especially a part-time person.”
Dirk Doebler, founder and CEO of paid parental leave insurance provider Parento, says companies often come out on top by providing these benefits, which can reduce turnover and therefore the time and energy spent recruiting.
Maloney was part of a 2015 lawsuit accusing Pittsburgh of overstepping its authority by requiring some employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave a year, depending on hours worked.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared the law valid in 2019, ending litigation and clearing the way for Allegheny County to institute its own paid sick leave policy in 2021.
Pittsburgh raised its paid sick leave limit to 72 hours at the start of this year. The county is trying to institute a similar increase alongside parental leave.
Whether a legal challenge to paid parental leave will greet the county if it wins legislative approval remains to be seen. The organization that spearheaded suing the city, the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, declined to take a firm stance on the county proposal the day after it was released and did not return a request for comment Monday.