Commission discusses expanding pregnancy‑loss policy into broader reproductive‑health leave
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Summary
Members debated changing the city’s pregnancy‑loss leave into a broader reproductive‑health policy that would add fertility, family‑building and other reproductive care to covered reasons and considered length of leave, non‑consecutive days and whether to extend leave to partners; the group will circulate a revised draft and consult HR.
The Gender Equity Commission spent substantial time on April 2 discussing draft language to expand the city’s current pregnancy‑loss leave into a broader reproductive‑health or reproductive‑loss leave that would cover fertility and family‑building care, adoption, menstrual and menopause‑related conditions, endometriosis, PCOS, hysterectomy, reproductive cancer screenings and gender‑affirming reproductive care.
“I added a few more, changed pregnancy loss to reproductive loss,” the chair said while walking members through the updated definitions and examples. Members endorsed wider coverage in principle but raised several design questions: how many paid days to provide, whether days may be taken non‑consecutively, and whether the policy should explicitly extend certain leave benefits to an employee’s partner.
Length of leave was contested in the meeting. The draft highlights three days; one member recommended “five, at least a week” given the broadened scope and the possible need for multiple medical visits. Members also suggested clarifying that days need not be consecutive (for example, two days in April and two days in October could still fall under the policy). The chair said the procedure section may be the appropriate place to add that clarification.
Members asked staff to check whether adoption or related family‑building time is already covered under existing paid parental leave policies. One staff member said adoption and fostering language appears in the city’s paid parental leave or leave‑of‑absence policy for non‑union employees and recommended consulting Director Kellerman and HR for alignment.
A commission member referenced Allegheny County’s 72‑hour annual paid sick‑leave standard and urged that the city’s policy not put employees at risk of losing other paid time off. The chair said she would follow up with HR and circulate an updated draft and supporting materials ahead of the May meeting for further deliberation.
Next steps: Chair to refine the draft to incorporate non‑consecutive‑day language and partner considerations, check alignment with existing paid parental leave policies, and circulate revised language with meeting minutes.
