January 11, 2016

New York City workers to be eligible for paid parental leave

The mayor of New York City has approved a new parental-leave policy that gives city employees six weeks’ paid parental leave.

Under the new rules, signed by mayor Bill de Blasio on 7 January, employees are eligible for up to six weeks’ maternity, paternity, adoption, and foster care leave on full pay.

The policy will not initially cover unionized workers, but the city government has announced it will be “immediately sitting down with its municipal unions to extend the policy to their covered employees, as required by collective bargaining rules.”

As it stands, the policy will affect 20,000 of the city’s 300,000 employees, and bring New York in line with Austin, Texas and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as one of the most generous municipal family-leave providers in the US.

Mayor de Blasio commented that: “For too long, new parents have faced the impossible choice between bonding with their child and paying their bills. Paid parental leave means healthier and more financially stable families, more effective workplaces, and a stronger and more just citywhich everyone can get behind. 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.”

The US is the only developed economy that does not guarantee any paid leave for new parents. By law, women who have children are entitled to 12 weeks’ leave without pay. Recently, some large US-based firms including Microsoft and Netflix have announced new paid parental leave policies, while presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has argued in favor of statutory paid leave.

Daniela Del Boca has written for IZA World of Labor about childcare choices and child development, and the role that parental leave plays. Noting that, especially when children are young, parental care is the most valuable input, she argues that: “generous parental leave policies as well as policies that promote affordable and high-quality formal childcare are likely to have a positive impact on children’s abilities and outcomes in the near and long term.”

Related article:
Childcare choices and child development by Daniela del Boca
Find more IZA World of Labor articles about family