For the first time in its history Bucks County enacted a parental leave policy for county employees.
The County Commissioners, approved the new policy by unanimous vote earlier this month,
County employees will now be entitled to up to eight weeks of paid leave for new parents following the birth, adoption or placement of a child through foster care.
“When I had children, it was still possible to have one parent working while the other stayed home to raise children or maybe worked part-time. For most families in this economy, that is no longer an option, as both parents need to work full-time,” said Commissioner Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia. “There was a time when not everybody had health insurance, vacation time, or sick time, but eventually those became necessary standards. Today, it is necessary to have paid parental leave, and we’re proud to provide our employees that benefit.”
“This is something that I believe is certainly overdue, and it is something that we know we, as a nation, are behind on when it comes to the rest of the industrialized world,” said Commissioner Vice Chair Bob Harvie. “When we talk about commitment to family and a commitment to what real family values are, I think it’s pretty clear that this is a measure that really emphasizes that we care about those first months of a family.”
“As a father of adopted children, I can say from experience that the first few weeks after your new child comes home are absolutely critical for building the bonds that will last a lifetime, so I am very proud to see parents who adopt reflected in this policy,” said Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo. “Families are so important, and this new benefit for County employees demonstrates our commitment to supporting the families that serve our residents every day.”
Like any employer, the County competes for talent in what has become a global marketplace. It is the Commissioners’ hope that this family-first policy incentivizes new recruits to join our workforce and our existing employees to stay in public service.
Under the new policy, which covers employees in all Bucks County government departments, new parents on leave will continue to be compensated at their normal rate while they bond at home with their new child.
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