Council approves landmark policy on paid parental leave

Employers have 12 months to implement the policy.

By MEGAN TROTTER
TribLive

After months of debate and pushback from some local business owners, Allegheny County Council approved a landmark policy Tuesday requiring employers with at least 15 workers to provide 12 weeks of paid parental leave to eligible new parents.

The measure, championed by County Executive Sara Innamorato, passed in a vote of 11-4 and makes Allegheny County the first county in the nation to independently mandate paid parental leave.

“We’ve waited decades for Washington and Harrisburg to act. Tonight, Allegheny County can be the first county in the nation to stop waiting,” said Councilman Dan Grzybek, D-Bethel Park.

Supporters gathered in the Gold Room of the Allegheny County Courthouse erupted into cheers as the vote was announced, celebrating the measure as a victory for working families and a step toward improving health outcomes for parents and newborns.

It still must be signed by Innamorato, which is expected to happen soon.

Grzybek spoke about his personal experience of having a newborn son in the NICU, and watching other babies spend their days without their parents because families could not afford to miss work.

“As a nation, we’ve decided that a newborn fighting for every breath is a scheduling problem for his parents’ em- ployer,” Grzybek said, who voted in favor of the legislation.

Voting for the mandate were Council President Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, D-Plum; Vice President John Palmiere, D-Baldwin; Lissa Geiger Shulman, D-Hampton; Paul Klein, D-Pittsburgh; Jordan Botta, D-Bloomfield; Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling, D-Moon Township; Bob Palmosina, D-Pittsburgh; DeWitt Walton, D-Hill District; Grzybek; and at-large members Bethany Hallam and Alex Rose.

Council members Nick Futules, D-Verona; Suzanne Filiaggi, R-Franklin Park; Aaron Adams, D-Duquesne; and Pat Catena, D-Carnegie, voted against it.

“We actually have to consider the financial burden the mandate places on businesses, small businesses,” Catena said. “I’m talking about the small nonprofits that maybe have 16, 17, 18 employees. Because those are the ones that are going to suffer under that. I mean, under this bill, unfortunately, the costs simply don’t disappear.”

The vote marked the culmination of a debate that began in May, when the Allegheny County Board of Health introduced a more expansive version of the proposal, requiring employers of all sizes to provide 18 weeks of paid parental leave.

Following more than 1,500 public comments, county officials revised the proposal in September, reducing the benefit to 12 weeks, exempting business owners with fewer than 15 employees and tightening eligibility requirements.

Under the approved measure, full and part-time employees must meet employment requirements of six months or 625 hours, depending on their employment status.

Workers on leave will receive their regular base pay, capped at $4,200 per week, while employers would be required to maintain their health insurance and provide job protection during leave.

The policy is not limited to birthing parents, but also includes parents adopting and fostering as well as a provision for parents who experience stillbirths.

The proposal also expands paid sick leave to increase annual leave allowances and accelerate how employees earn leave.

Under the new sick leave regulation, employers with 15 or more employees will need to provide up to 72 hours of paid sick leave annually, while smaller employers would provide up to 48 hours.

Employees would also earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

The amendment also requires employers to provide designated paid sick leave, even if they already offer a paid time off policy that meets the required standards.

The revised proposal won unanimous approval from the Board of Health on Sept. 28 before advancing through county council’s health committee in a 5-1 vote on Oct. 8.

Despite the changes, the measure continued to face opposition from business owners who argued that requiring employers to shoulder the cost of paid leave could create financial hardships, particularly for small and midsize businesses.

“Now, I understand that some businesses might be concerned, but guess what? There has been due diligence by the executive to make sure that small businesses are protected, that we are taking care of young parents, and at the end of the day, this does more good than it does bad,” Botta said.

Supporters pointed to the potential health benefits for parents and newborns, as well as greater financial stability for working families.

According to the Allegheny County Department of Health, 59% of the more than 1,500 public comments submitted on the proposal were supportive.

Tuesday’s outcome was welcome news for nurses, labor union members and families who rallied outside the Gold Room ahead of the vote, calling on council members to approve the measure.

“It cannot be overstated how serious the maternal and infant public health crisis is in Allegheny County, especially for Black mothers, especially in Pittsburgh,” said Julia Clemm, a mom and parent from Pittsburgh’s Friendship neighborhood.

Ebony Flowers, a political analyst for New Voices for Reproductive Justice, said families should not have to choose between welcoming a new child into their family and maintaining their financial sustainability.

Local social media influencer Jess Britvich, who had a baby in September, said many moms return to work sooner than they are ready.

“I don’t believe women should have to sacrifice their financial autonomy to start a family,” Britvich said. “If we’re serious about supporting families and supporting women’s choices, we have to create the conditions that make real choice possible.”

With the measure approved, attention turns to how the county will put the new requirements into practice.

12 months to comply

Covered employers will have 12 months to comply, giving businesses time to adjust their budgets, staffing plans and employee benefits. The transition period was designed in part to allow employers to align the new requirements with their fiscal years.

Still, questions remain about implementation. During council committee discussion earlier this month, Filiaggi raised concerns about the lack of clear guidance from the county, partially for smaller businesses without dedicated human resources departments.

“I asked questions about the legality of this issue. I asked questions about how we were going to implement this because small businesses are not fearful of Armageddon, they are fearful for their livelihoods as you are for yours,” Filiaggi said. “I didn’t get any answers.”

Filiaggi argued the mandate would unfairly burden small employers, stressing that the concern is not paid parental leave itself, but its funding and the costs being shifted to businesses.

Filiaggi said this tactic was taken because it is an election year, and passing a universal, publicly funded system would mean proposing a transparent tax increase, a “move that risks angering a large countywide population of voters at the ballot box.”

“I believe that the administration is intentionally targeting the universe of 4,000 local businesses and nonprofits that employ between 15 and 40 people,” Filiaggi said, citing their limited HR resources and financial vulnerability.

Abigail Gardner, spokeswoman for Allegheny County, declined to provide comment in response to Filiaggi’s claims.

Gardner did say that the county administration plans to use existing departments — separate from the health department — which already handle worker safety and protections to take on appeals and implementation efforts.

Gardner also said the health department in coordination with the county’s marketing and communications team will put together educational materials to help ease the process over the next 12 months. However, the county does not plan to provide human resources consultants.

On Tuesday, Allegheny County home care providers and the Pennsylvania Homecare Association said imposing additional employer- funded benefits without increasing Medicaid reimbursement could further destabilize an already underfunded home care system, potentially limiting essential services for vulnerable residents.

“The people who will ultimately feel the unintended consequences of this proposal are seniors, adults, and kids with disabilities throughout Allegheny County who are already struggling to find someone to provide care in their homes,” said Jason Hafer of HomeCentris Healthcare, which serves more than 300 care recipients and employs more than 300 people in Allegheny County.

Unlike some state-level paid leave programs funded through payroll contributions or insurance systems, Allegheny County’s policy places financial responsibility directly on employers.

A recent survey released by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce this month showed that 83% of employers said the policy would hurt their business, while 55% said they would raise prices and 40% said they would hire fewer full-time workers.

The survey also revealed that 32% of business owners said they would consider moving operations outside Allegheny County.