Missouri state employees can finally heave a sigh of relief when it comes to taking time off to bond with their children. On March 13, 2017, Governor Eric R. Greitens signed Executive Order 17-09 that entitles every parent working for the state to receive parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child. The new policy grants six weeks of paid parental leave for state employees who are primary caregivers and three weeks for secondary caregivers. Governor Greitens made the following statement:
We need to do everything in our power to support children and families in this state – and that begins on day one of their arrival in the home. Before today, a state employee who gave birth to or adopted a child would have to use sick time, vacation, or take unpaid leave. And yet, everything we know about that crucial period after a child arrives in the home argues for giving parents time with their new children. Parents use that time to nurture and bond with the newest member of the family. Research proves that parental leave time is linked to better infant health and development, as well as employee retention and productivity. We believe that this policy will help new parents gain some stability during a happy and hectic time.
The Executive Order applies to employees working for the department and agencies of the executive branch of the state government, whether they are full-time, hourly, or in 24-hour positions. State elected officials, independent commissions, the legislature, and the judiciary are encouraged to adopt similar policies for their employees. Parental leave can only be taken within the 12 weeks following the birth or adoption of a child, and cannot be donated or rolled over into future years. If both parents work for the state, each parent is entitled to receive parental leave, which can be taken at the same time or consecutively. Parents may request the leave without having it count against their annual leave, sick leave, or holidays. If employees are eligible, parental leave can be taken concurrently with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for any of the following reasons:
- For the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee;
- For placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;
- To care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
- To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.
All covered agencies are responsible for making all necessary changes to comply with the new Executive Order.