EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso City Council unanimously voted Tuesday, Feb. 27 in favor of reviewing and researching a more expansive parental leave policy for City employees.
According to the policy proposal, this would include “no less than four weeks of paid prenatal leave and 12 weeks postpartum paid leave” for all new parents employed with the City.
Mary Wiggins, chief human resources officer with the City of El Paso, said the big difference with the new policy proposal is that “it does not come from a donation of shared leave from other employees. The recommendation is that the City would pay that as a standard paid amount of time.”
Tuesday’s discussion follows recommendations made by the City’s Women’s Rights Commission in August 2023.
The City’s current parental leave policy was implemented in 2017. Wiggins said employees can use up to four weeks of sick or vacation leave. Once that time is exhausted, they can go into the shared parental leave bank. That consists of time volunteered by fellow employees.
Advocates for a more robust parental leave policy say it is long overdue. Lisa Turner, a member of the Women’s Rights Commission, said it’s the best option for all stakeholders.
“It’s best for the health of the child, the health of the mother. It reduces absenteeism; they’re not absent from work. They’re not having to go home because the child is sick. All this takes money away,” Turner said.
Wiggins said the next step is looking at similar policies at El Paso’s sister cities.
She said they will then present City Council with recommendations and budgetary impacts.
Wiggins said an inclusive revamped parental leave policy could benefit the City as well from recruiting and retaining employees.
“It would give working mothers that comfort in knowing when they have their children they’re not having to worry about financial worries,” Wiggins said.
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