(a) The City provides four (4) weeks paid birth leave for vaginal deliveries or six (6) weeks paid birth leave for C-section deliveries "Birth Leave" in a rolling 12-month period to an employee following the birth of that employee's child to enable the employee to recover medically from the birth. Birth leave runs concurrently with unpaid Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") leave. Employees may use birth leave to supplement other paid leave, where permitted and where applicable.
(b) To be eligible, employees must have been employed by the City for at least ninety (90) days in a full-time status and must have given birth to a child.
(c) The fact that a multiple birth occurs (e.g., the birth of twins) does not increase the total amount of paid birth leave granted for that event. Nor will any employee receive more than the specified allotment of paid birth leave in any rolling 12-month period. Birth leave may, however, be split between temporally separate births.
(d) Each week of paid birth leave is compensated up to 100% of the employee's regular rate of pay.
(e) All payments under this policy will be made in accordance with standard payroll practices.
(f) Employees must take paid birth leave in one continuous period of leave immediately following the birth of the child except as defined in (g).
(g) Birth Leave may begin up to one week prior to the birth of the child, upon prior authorization from the administration. Medical documentation may be required to substantiate the need for leave in advance of a birth.
(h) Upon termination of the individual's employment, an employee will not be paid for any unused birth leave for which the employee was eligible.
(i) After the paid birth leave is exhausted, the balance of FMLA leave (if applicable) will be compensated, if at all, in accordance with the City's FMLA and paid leave policies.
(j) Employees are required to provide notice of the need for paid birth leave as soon as practicable.
(Ord. C40-22. Passed 6-20-22.)