(a) All regular full-time annual and hourly rate City employees who have completed thirty (30) days of continuous employment shall be entitled to twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave during the twelve (12) month period following the birth, adoption, or appointment of legal guardianship by a court of law of a child at one hundred percent (100%) of their regular base rate of pay. Hourly rate craft employees paid on the basis of building trades prevailing wages are not eligible. The eligibility of City employees in a union-represented bargaining unit is subject to the terms of the City's collective bargaining agreements and the requirements of RC Chapter 4117. "Parental leave" shall mean a leave of absence following the birth of a newborn, the placement of a newly adopted child, or the appointment of legal guardianship of a child by a court of law.
(b) Where paid parental leave is taken for a qualifying reason under The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 ("FMLA"), paid parental leave shall run concurrently with FMLA leave, shall be counted against FMLA leave available to employees using the paid parental leave benefit, and shall be in addition to, and not reduce an employee's balance of other accrued paid leave provided to the employee by the City except as provided in divisions (e) and (h)(3) below.
(c) An employee who would otherwise be eligible for paid parental leave under division (a) above and who experiences a pregnancy loss, as defined by the rules and regulations established pursuant to division (i), shall be eligible for three (3) weeks of paid parental leave.
(d) If after a live birth or after the placement of a newly adopted child the child dies during the period of time that the employee is on paid parental leave, the employee shall be entitled to the full extent of the paid parental leave permitted under division (a) above, and the paid parental leave shall not terminate due to the death of the child. All other provisions of paid parental leave shall apply.
(e) If an employee takes leave under divisions (c) or (d) above, the employee is ineligible to take bereavement leave made available through Section 171.31 of these Codified Ordinances.
(f) In addition to the twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave, every eligible employee shall be entitled to up to twenty (20) hours of intermittent paid leave in a twelve (12) month period at one hundred percent (100%) of their regular base pay to attend pre-natal medical and related appointments up to the birth of a child(ren). The employee's balance of other accrued paid leave that the City provided to the employee shall not be reduced by the taking of the foregoing leave.
(g) In addition to the twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave, every eligible employee who pursues a legally-sanctioned adoption shall be entitled to up to twenty (20) hours of intermittent paid leave in a twelve (12) month period at one hundred percent (100%) of their base rate of pay to attend required meetings or interviews to obtain approval for an adoption of a child(ren). The employee's balance of other accrued paid leave that the City provided to the employee shall not be reduced by the taking of the foregoing leave.
(h) All of the following apply to employees granted paid parental leave under this section:
(1) They shall remain eligible for all employer-paid and employer-provided benefits and shall continue to accrue other forms of paid leave while on paid parental leave.
(2) They are ineligible to receive overtime pay, and no portion of their parental leave shall be included in calculating their overtime pay.
(3) They are ineligible to receive holiday pay. A holiday occurring during the leave period shall be counted as one day of paid parental leave and shall be paid as such.
(i) The Director of Human Resources shall establish rules and regulations governing paid parental leave. Such rules and regulations shall include the permissible grounds for paid parental leave, procedures for taking leave, allowances for intermittent leave, and any other relevant considerations not inconsistent with this section or FMLA.
(Ord. No. 630-2023. Passed 7-12-23, eff. 9-15-23)