Representative proposes paid paternal leave for state employees
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ATLANTA (WGCL) — A state representative is pushing legislation in the state house that will provide paid paternal leave for state employees.
According to a press release, State Representative Houston Gaines (R-Athens) filed legislation in the Georgia House of Representatives on March 3.
This new paid parental leave benefit would provide close to 246,000 state employees with three weeks of paid leave upon the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child.
The law will apply to employees with six months of creditable service regardless of the employee’s gender, however, the law is limited to once in any 12-month period.
In addition, according to Rep. Gaines, the benefit does not impact the employee’s accrued leave or rights under any family medical leave policy.
“As we seek to recruit and retain the best and brightest employees to serve Georgia’s citizens, this is an important step in helping our employees maintain a healthy work-life balance,” said Rep. Houston Gaines. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the General Assembly and the leadership of our state agencies to implement this new paid parental leave benefit.”
Speaker Ralston announced a paid parental leave benefit for employees of the Georgia House of Representatives in July 2018. That benefit went into effect in January of this year.
President Trump signed legislation extending a paid parental leave benefit to 2.1 million civilian employees of the federal government.
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