The Allegheny County Health Department announced a proposal Wednesday that, if passed, would require all employers in the county to offer at least 18 weeks of paid parental leave, a rare move for local governments.
The proposal would amend the county health code’s Article XXIV, which already guarantees paid sick leave. The county’s Board of Health unanimously approved moving the proposal to a 30-day public comment period.
“Recovery from childbirth is a medical necessity, and right now not enough people in Allegheny County have adequate access to appropriate paid leave,” ACHD Director Iulia Vann said in a press release. “Paid parental leave gives families the time they need to heal, bond, attend critical medical appointments, and protect their child’s health during one of the most important developmental periods of life.”
The Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and Allegheny Conference on Community Development, which advocate for the region’s economic growth, had not yet reviewed the proposal Wednesday night.
“A lack of paid leave keeps workers on the sidelines, slows the economy and holds us back as a region,” said County Executive Sara Innamorato in a statement issued immediately after the vote. “I’m sure we’ll get lots of comments from people with different perspectives and priorities, and we welcome the feedback. But I want to be clear that my administration is never going to stop fighting for mothers, babies, families and workers.
Only 14 states, not including Pennsylvania, as well as the District of Columbia mandate paid parental leave, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Though some cities within those states offer further specified policies, Allegheny County would be the first municipality or county of any state without mandatory paid parental leave to require it. Currently, about 42% of those who give birth in the county get some kind of paid parental leave, according to provisional county data.
All employers within Allegheny County, regardless of how many employees, would be required by law to provide a minimum of 18 weeks to any parent employed for at least 30 days. This leave could be used by the employee at any time within the first 12 months of the child’s birth or legal placement, as staff stated during the meeting.
States with mandated paid parental leave generally pay for the leave with publicly funded social insurance supported by payroll taxes, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, but the county, like New York state, has no plans to provide funding for the leave itself. Employers would be responsible for funding the leave, potentially through the use of private insurance programs.
Some employers in Allegheny County already offer paid parental leave, but many would have to increase offerings to comply with the new mandate. UPMC, for example, currently offers as many as two weeks of paid parental leave.
UPMC, the county’s largest employer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ACHD cited public health concerns as the impetus behind spearheading the initiative. Paid parental leave comes with a variety of crucial public health outcomes, ACHD argues, regarding regularity of breastfeeding, postpartum mental health, frequency of hospitalization and emergency room visits and more. The county cites Pennsylvania’s Local Health Administration Law as its authority for this proposal.
At the Wednesday meeting, several people, including nurses involved with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), spoke in favor of the parental leave proposal.
“I see women who are readmitted to the hospital because they have complications that could have been avoided if they had more paid time off to properly care for themselves and their newborns,” said Jean Stone, a UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital nurse and member of SEIU.
Jada Shirriel, the CEO of the nonprofit Healthy Start Pittsburgh, spoke about the higher rates of death from childbirth among Black women and infants.
“These outcomes are the result of barriers, biases and structural inequities that continue to undermine the experiences of Black moms and birthing people across our region,” Shirriel said. “And while the disparities for Black families continue to require us to take immediate action, we advocate for every family in our county to have the benefit of paid family leave.”
Dan McCarthy, an organizer with the nonprofit anti-poverty organization Just Harvest, praised the proposal.
“Especially at a time when the federal government is dismantling our social safety net, I think now’s the perfect time for Allegheny County to think about the tools it has in its arsenal to address crises like this of public health,” McCarthy said.
Details of the proposal could change over months of deliberations. After the 30-day public hearing and another vote by the Board of Health, the policy would then be voted on by the Allegheny County Council.
Matt Petras is a visiting lecturer of English at the University of Pittsburgh and a freelance reporter. He can be reached at matt456p@gmail.com and on Bluesky @mattapetras.bsky.social.
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