Marion County’s personnel committee reviewed proposed paid parental leave language in a draft personnel policy on Aug. 28, discussing a county proposal to provide four weeks of paid leave after the birth of a child and whether the benefit should also apply to adoption and foster-care placement and to fathers. Committee members recommended changing the draft’s phrasing to align with the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and to treat birth, adoption and foster placement consistently.

The discussion covered eligibility and duration. The draft would offer four weeks of paid leave to a birth parent following childbirth; committee members said the county’s final language should explicitly include adoption and foster placement so the benefit is not limited to birth parents. Members also debated whether the four weeks should be paid in addition to vacation and sick balances or whether paid leave should integrate with existing accrued time. Several members recommended the county adopt FMLA-style language that covers birth, adoption and foster placement and applies equitably to all eligible employees.

Committee members noted that some state employers offer paid leave for the full statutory FMLA period and that the county’s four-week proposal is more limited. The draft requires one year of continuous service or 1,250 hours (the FMLA threshold) for eligibility, and members asked staff to clarify verification and documentation procedures for adoption and foster placements. Members also asked that the policy explicitly reference breastfeeding/lactation accommodations and include the federal requirement for a private, lockable space for nursing employees.

Staff were directed to revise the draft to: (1) replace “birth parent” wording with gender-neutral “parental leave” language that explicitly covers birth, adoption and foster placements; (2) state the eligibility threshold (one year or 1,250 hours) and describe documentation requirements; and (3) add a short lactation-accommodation paragraph under the FMLA section. No formal vote was recorded; the judge and county legal counsel were asked to review the revised language before final consideration.