Alabama House bill would extend paid parental leave to state employees

Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, listens during a session of the Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector)

The Alabama House Ways and Means General Fund Committee Tuesday approved a bill to give up to eight weeks of parental leave to state employees.

HB 309, sponsored by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, would provide up to eight weeks for parents for the birth of a child or adoption of a child under the age of three.

“It is what we need to do so that we can better recruit young people to fill these jobs in the state, just like everybody’s having trouble trying to hire employees,” Shaver said to the committee.

A study group convened by Gov. Kay Ivey said last year that Alabama faces a 15% turnover rate in state employees, a 20-year high. State agencies have often told lawmakers they are struggling to fill positions.

Currently, state employees can take sick leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows employees to take unpaid leave for specified family and medical reasons.

Under Shaver’s bill, parents would receive 100% of their pay and would continue to receive benefits, such as health insurance and retirement.

Neah Scott, legislative counsel for the Retirement Services of Alabama, said they are in support of the bill. Unlike unpaid leave, RSA wouldn’t see a loss of benefits paid into the system.

“When you’re on paid leave, you’re still in the system. It actually fixes it because if you take FMLA unpaid leave, you don’t pay in on that time you’re out and you don’t get service,” Scott said.

Under the bill, employees can use parental leave before tapping into their sick leave or FMLA. The parental leave would not roll over; could not be donated, and employees wouldn’t be able to be paid for unused parental leave if they leave the job.

According to the bill’s fiscal note, the bill could decrease savings by an estimated maximum of $8,600 per employee who takes eight weeks of parental leave. It would also potentially increase spending by an undetermined amount if the agency has to backfill any positions for employees using leave.

Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, speaks during a debate in the Alabama House of Representatives on gambling legislation on Feb. 15, 2024 in the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The House approved a constitutional amendment that would create a state lottery and allowing casino gambling and sports wagering. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, said paid parental leave would be unfair to employees who may fall critically ill, have to exhaust their sick leave or FMLA.

“Do you not see that there’s going to be an equity factor there that I can have cancer, but I have to take my leave, but I can have a baby and they are paying me to take a leave?” she said.

Warren said she would prefer that a state employee exhaust the sick leave before being eligible for parental leave. State employees currently earn 4.12 hours per 2-weeks, or just over 12 days a year.

Shaver said that penalizes employees who are trying to have a family.

“One in three workers said they had to quit their jobs for caring for the responsibilities for their children, and there’s a greater likelihood that those people would end up on public assistance and end up costing the state more money,” she said.

Even for people who may not plan on having children, she said, parental leave policy says that the employer cares for its employees.

“I really don’t see a downside. I think it’s all positive,” she said.

The bill moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

This story was updated at 3:26 p.m. to clarify that both parents are eligible for parental leave.

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