Gwinnett County this month began offering four weeks of paid parental leave to eligible full-time county employees.
“I’m ecstatic,” District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden said. “This has been in the pipeline for some time.”
The change comes almost a year after Georgia began providing three weeks of paid parental leave to state workers, including teachers.
The new Gwinnett policy provides up to four weeks of paid leave to employees after the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.
To qualify, employees must be full time and must have worked for the county for at least one year. The policy does not attempt to impose a mandate on private businesses.
The paid leave can also be granted to county employees who are unable to work for medical reasons related to childbirth and to partners caring for such employees. It can also be used, after sick leave, for workers who are incapacitated due to pregnancy.
Employees on paid parental leave will receive the full amount of their regular wages, according to the policy.
County workers are expected to take their paid leave concurrently with any time off under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which requires employers to offer unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks.
Many employers don’t offer any paid parental leave, though some are increasing parental benefits as the job market grows more competitive.
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