19473_Authority_Oct-opt

municipalauthorities.org │ 33 What Should Municipal Authorities Do Now? Authorities do not need to create paid parental leave policies simply because they provide pregnancy-related medical leave to birth mothers. They should, however, review existing policies, particularly older policies labeled simply "maternity leave," to determine precisely what benefits those policies provide. The critical question is whether the leave is provided because of pregnancy, childbirth, or medical recovery, or because the employee has become a parent and needs time to care for or bond with a child. Pregnancy-related medical benefits may generally be limited to birth mothers. Parental or bonding benefits should be provided to similarly situated employees on the same terms. Authorities should also make sure that their FMLA policies separately address the statutory leave rights of eligible employees and that their leave policies clearly explain how FMLA leave, accrued paid time off, short-term disability benefits, pregnancy-related medical leave, and any voluntary parental leave benefits interact. Finally, authorities in Allegheny County should continue monitoring the County's proposed 18-week paid parental leave requirement. The proposal demonstrates that although paid parental leave is not presently mandated by federal or Pennsylvania law, the legal landscape in this area may be changing. S Tank Repairs Tank Painting Tank Cleaning Tank Inspections ikstoltzfus.com 717-653-6789 I.K. Stoltzfus Service Corp.