San Francisco Becomes First U.S. City to Mandate Paid Parental Leave The unanimously approved law allows parents to receive their full salary for six weeks, beginning in 2017.

By Reuters

This story originally appeared on Reuters

Pexels

San Francisco became the first U.S. city to mandate six weeks of fully paid parental leave, requiring employers to shoulder much of the cost and exceeding federal and state benefit rules for private-sector employees, a city supervisor said on Tuesday.

The law, unanimously approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, grants six-week leave for fathers and mothers working for companies with 20 or more employees, nearly doubling the pay they are now eligible to collect under California law.

"Our country's parental leave policies are woefully behind the rest of the world, and today San Francisco has taken the lead in pushing for better family leave policies for our workers," Supervisor Scott Wiener said in a statement.

Better benefits for parents are part of campaigns across the nation aimed at combating rising income inequality. California's governor on Monday signed into law a bill raising the state's minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour by the year 2023.

San Francisco already offers 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave to its approximately 30,000 city employees.

On Monday, New York's governor signed a bill granting 12-week paid family leave for private-sector workers that will phase in by 2021. California and New Jersey provide up to six weeks of partial pay, while Rhode Island offers four, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Under the San Francisco policy, effective in 2017, employers must pay 45 percent of wages for as long as six weeks. The remaining 55 percent of weekly wages comes from a worker-funded state disability program.

Payments are calculated as a percentage of wages up to an annual ceiling of $106,740.

Supporters said it will enable new parents to spend more time with their babies, while opponents said it would hurt profits and cost jobs.

In 2014, about 5,000 San Francisco residents accessed the state's program for paid family leave for an average of 5.4 weeks, according to state data.

Nationally, 12 percent of workers receive paid family leave through their employers, Wiener's office said.

Technology companies in Silicon Valley have increased family leave benefits to help recruit and retain employees. Netflix Inc. provides up to a year paid, while Facebook Inc. provides four months and Microsoft Corp. offers eight weeks.

Federal law provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn or adopted child for employees at companies with 50 or more workers.

(By Eric M. Johnson; Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Sara Catania and Jonathan Oatis)

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Branding

AI vs. a Human Touch: Finding The Right Balance When It Comes to Branding

With branding at the forefront of every marketing strategy, finding the balance between AI and genuine human interaction will help brands foster authentic connections and enhance the customer experience, ultimately driving them ahead of the competition and facilitating long-term growth.

Business News

These Are the Top 10 'Mega Airports' in North America, According to a New Report

J.D. Power's annual ranking named Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport highest for customer satisfaction for 2023.

Business News

Christian Influencer Found Guilty of Defrauding Dozens, Ordered to Pay Nearly $90,000

Dana Chanel was the co-owner of two businesses that she heavily promoted to her 1.1 million Instagram followers.

Business News

Renowned Federal Judge, 96, Faces Yearlong Suspension For Refusing to Retire

Judge Pauline Newman, a highly respected figure in patent law, has been suspended for one year by her colleagues due to mounting concerns about her mental fitness.

Business News

'This Is So, So Disrespectful': Balmain Truck 'Hijacked' Days Before Paris Fashion Week, 50 Pieces Stolen

Balmain is set to debut its SS 2024 Collection in Paris on September 27.

Science & Technology

5 Mistakes I Learned to Avoid When Working With ChatGPT

What I learned from using ChatGPT for business purposes day-to-day across my content websites.