(A) The city recognizes that employees may need to be absent from work to care for a newborn child or newly adopted or placement of a foster care child (referred to as parental leave in this policy) or due to a pregnancy-related condition (referred to as pregnancy leave in this policy). The city provides pregnancy and parental leaves of absence to all eligible employees in accordance with the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), ADA, State Pregnant Workers Act and any applicable state law.
(B) The City Clerk is responsible for the administration of this policy. If an employee has any questions regarding this policy or if he or she has questions about pregnancy or parental leave that are not addressed in this policy, he or she should contact the City Clerk.
(C) If an employee needs to take parental leave for the birth of his or her child or to care for a newly adopted or foster care child, the employee should provide advance notice to his or her supervisor or the City Clerk. When possible, the employee should give at least 30 days’ notice of his or her request for leave. If a 30-day notice is not possible because of medical necessity or for other reasons, the employee should give as much advance notice to the city as possible.
(D) Written notice is preferred but not required.
(E) If an employee is suffering from a pregnancy-related disability and requires reasonable accommodation (which may include leave) for this purpose, the employee should speak with his or her supervisor and/or the City Clerk to discuss a reasonable accommodation. The employee may be required to submit medical certification of his or her disability.
(F) All employees are eligible for two weeks of paid parental leave.
(G) During pregnancy and parental leave all benefits provided under an employee benefit plan are governed by the terms and conditions of the applicable employee benefit plan documents in accordance with applicable law. For all other benefits, an employee on pregnancy or parental leave will receive the same rights and benefits as employees on a paid leave of absence.
(H) The employee’s job will be held for him or her in accordance with applicable law while he or she is on pregnancy or parental leave.
(I) If an employee is on pregnancy-related disability leave, when he or she is able to return to work, he or she must submit a doctor’s certification stating he or she is medically able to return to his or her normal duties. The employee’s continued absence from work beyond his or her required disability leave period (as determined by his or her physician) and exhaustion of all other available leave may be deemed a voluntary abandonment of his or her job.
(J) Nothing in this policy requires the city to reemploy individuals who are not eligible for reemployment rights under applicable law.
(K) The city prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination or retaliation against any employee or applicant because of that person’s pregnancy or parental leave. Specifically, no one will be denied employment, reemployment, promotion, any other benefit of employment or be subjected to any adverse employment action based on that person’s pregnancy or parental leave. In addition, no one will be disciplined, intimidated or otherwise retaliated against because that person exercised rights under this policy or applicable law.
(L) The city is committed to enforcing this policy against discrimination and retaliation. However, the effectiveness of the efforts depends on employees telling the city about inappropriate workplace conduct. If employees feel that they or someone else may have been subjected to conduct that violates this policy, they should immediately report it. If employees do not report such conduct, the city may not become aware of a possible violation of this policy and may not be able to take appropriate corrective action.