Allegheny County Board Of Health Passes Paid Parental Leave Proposal

The revised bill reduced the original proposal for paid leave for new parents from 18 weeks to 12 weeks and adjusted eligibility requirements. The current plan would apply only to employers with 15 or more workers. Full-time employees would need at least six months of employment to qualify, while part-time workers would need to log 625 work hours. The measure would apply to employees who work or have work-related activities in Allegheny County for 80 hours a year or more, including remote workers whose companies are based in other states.

The final version approved by the Board included some additional changes. First, the updated proposal gives covered employers a uniform 12-month period to implement the proposal (replacing the earlier approach that would have required implementation within six months or by the employer’s next budget cycle). Second, it made a minor clerical change to the bill’s language to apply to both paid sick leave and paid parental leave. And third, it included a technical amendment clarifying the documentation requirements for paid parental leave.

The proposal now moves to the 15-member Allegheny County Council for consideration and possibly additional amendments. To become law, the proposal needs majority approval —eight votes—before going to County Executive Sara Innamorato for signature.