New Hanover County, North Carolina has implemented a new paid parental leave policy for eligible county employees. The new policy began on July 1, 2019 and provides up to six weeks of paid leave during the 12 months immediately following the birth, adoption, guardianship or foster care placement of a child.
County administration recommended this new policy and it was adopted by the Board of Commissioners at its June 17, 2019 meeting as part of a revised personnel policy.
Said New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jonathan Barfield, Jr.:
“This is the right thing to do for our employees and their families, and is an important and smart investment for our community. It will promote family bonding between a parent and child, and help ease the financial burden many families face as they welcome a new child. This is just one more reason why New Hanover County Government is a great place to work.”
The new policy applies to full-time and part-time employees who have been in a regular (benefits-eligible) status for at least 12 months, regardless of gender. It will run concurrent with the 12-week Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that an employee may take, so an employee can take the six weeks of paid parental leave and an additional six weeks of leave either unpaid or by using other accrued paid leave.
County benefits information may be found at HumanResources.NHCgov.com.
Source: Jessica Loeper, New Hanover County Government
Ed. Note: Emphasis added.
