Atchison adopts six weeks paid parental leave for city employees

The Atchison City Commission approved resolution 34‑12 to amend Chapter 12 of the city’s personnel policy to provide six weeks of paid parental leave for city employees following the birth or legal adoption of a child.

City Manager Mark Westhoff said the change fills a gap in the city’s benefits package and aligns Atchison with comparable cities. "We ultimately would like to propose offering an amendment to the personnel policy to include 6 weeks of paid parental leave for employees of the city of Atchison," Westhoff said. He added the city attorney reviewed the policy language and department managers had examined the proposal.

Under the adopted policy, employees have 12 months to use their six weeks and may split the leave into sections if they coordinate with their department supervisor. "They have 12 months to take the 6 weeks of leave. They can break it down into different sections as long as they work with their department supervisor and department head," Westhoff said.

Westhoff told commissioners the change does not increase the city’s budget; rather, it reduces the savings the city realizes when employees take unpaid leave because the employee’s salary is already budgeted. Commissioners discussed staffing impacts if multiple employees in the same department take leave at similar times; Westhoff noted such absences would occur under current FMLA rules regardless of pay and require planning with supervisors.

A motion to adopt resolution 34‑12 was moved and seconded and subsequently carried; the minutes record the motion as approved.