Notwithstanding Lake County’s Family and Medical Leave Act Policy (FMLA), § 4.3 Family and Medical Leave, the following Parental Leave Policy shall be established:
(A) Lake County shall offer four weeks of 100% paid parental leave to eligible full-time employees to provide parental care after birth or adoption of an employee’s child. Paid parental leave is intended to give new parents additional flexibility and time to bond with their new child, adjust to their new family situation, and balance their professional obligations.
(B) Eligibility.
(1) Parental leave is available to all full-time and benefit-eligible employees who have been employed with the county for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period preceding the leave.
(2) Parental leave may only be taken following the birth of an employee’s child of for adoption of a minor child (under age 18). An individual who adopts a spouse’s child is not eligible for parental leave.
(3) Parental leave is available only to employees whom are primary caregivers of the newborn or adopted child. Both parents may be primary caregivers.
(4) Human Resources is responsible for administering this policy and determining eligibility for parental leave.
(C) Benefit Provisions.
(1) Parental leave is compensated at 100 % of the employee’s regular, straight-time weekly pay and is paid on a bi-weekly basis on regularly scheduled pay dates. Parental leave does not reduce an eligible employee’s balance of any other paid leave such as sick, vacation, or floating holiday.
(2) Paid parental leave is a benefit of employment and will not be considered as a negative factor in employment actions, such as hiring, promotions, and disciplinary actions.
(3) Parental leave may be taken continuously or in one-week increments within the first six months following the birth or adoption of a minor child. Parents who choose to take parental leave incrementally must consult with his or her supervisor and make a reasonable effort to schedule incremental parental leave so as not to unduly disrupt the department’s operations.
(4) As with other forms of paid leave, benefits will remain the same while an employee is on parental leave. For example, vacation and sick leave benefits will continue to accrue, the county will continue to pay its share of the cost of an employee’s group health insurance and the employee’s share of the premium will continue to be deducted from the employee’s pay. Similarly, all deductions from income will continue during parental leave.
(5) If a county recognized holiday occurs during parental leave, the holiday will be paid. Use of holiday pay, however, does not extend the length of parental leave.
(6) Parental leave runs concurrently with any available FMLA leave for the same qualifying birth/adoption, so any leave taken under this policy that also qualifies as FMLA will count toward the 12 weeks of available FMLA in a 12-month period. Employees on parental leave are ineligible to work alternative employment.
(7) lf an employee on parental leave is eligible for short term disability benefits, her/his short-term disability will offset, and are not in addition to, the salary continuation provided under this policy.
(8) lf both parents are employed by the County of Lake, they may take the parental leave concurrently or at separate times, according to their preference.
(9) Parental leave is only available to an employee once in a 12-month period.
(10) Any unused paid parental leave will be forfeited at the end of the six-month time frame. Upon termination, or upon a change in employment status to position that is not eligible for benefits (e.g., transition from full-time to part-time), unused paid parental leave will not be paid.
(D) Request Parental Leave. Eligible employees interested in parental leave must provide their supervisor and Human Resources with notice from a physician of the anticipated leave at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of the leave (or if the leave is not foreseeable, as soon as possible).
(Ord. 1285B, passed 3-13-2007; Ord. 1285B-2, passed 3-11-2008; Ord. 1285B-3, passed 3-11-2008; Ord. 1285B-4, passed 6-10-2008; Ord. 1285B-5, passed 8-12-2008; Ord. 1285B-6, passed 8-26-2008; Ord. 1285B-7, passed 9-9-2008; Ord. 1285B-8, passed 10-14-2008; Ord. 1285B-9, passed 5-12-2009; Ord. 1285B-10, passed 6-9-2009; Ord. 1285B-11, passed 1-12-2010; Ord. 1285B-12, passed 2-23-2010; Ord. 1285B-13, passed 7-13-2010; Ord. 1285B-14, passed 9-22-2010; Ord. 1285B-16, passed 5-15-2012; Ord. 1356C, passed 1-8-2013; Ord. 1356C-1, passed 9-9-2014; Ord. 1356C-2, passed 5-12-2015; Ord. 1356C-4, passed 8-8-2017; Ord. 1356C-5, passed 1-24-2018; Ord. 1356C-6, passed 3-12-2019; Ord. 1356C-7, passed 5-14-2019; Ord. 1356C-8, passed 10-8-19; Ord. 1356C-9, passed 12-10-2019)