A bill requiring that Allegheny County employers offer paid parental leave to many employees inched forward today with a vote of approval from the Board of Health.
The bill advanced today is meaningfully different to an earlier version presented in May that did not grant exemptions to small businesses and would have required companies to shoulder longer periods of leave. The bill now moves to County Council for a final vote.
“We’ve been waiting for decades for federal or state action, while the rest of the world and much of the country moves forward with protecting families,” said County Executive Sara Innamorato in a statement. “I’m tired of waiting, and Allegheny County families are tired of waiting. They deserve better and I eagerly encourage council to pass this bill and send it to me for my signature.”
Lively discussion has surrounded the policy since its introduction in May. More than 1,400 people filed public comments, with the majority voicing support, though many business owners expressed concern.
In response to the business community’s concerns, the county scaled back the bill:
- Trimming to 12 weeks the length of leave, originally 18 weeks
- Requiring employees to log 180 days — rather than 30 — to qualify
- Setting calculations for payments to part-time employees and thresholds for seasonal workers
- Exempting businesses with 15 employees or less from the requirement.
Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann told the board today more than 50% of county businesses employ 10 people or fewer while “about 65%” employ less than 20.
“The revised regulation really focuses the mandate on employers with a greater workforce capacity,” she said.
Another amendment added today ensures companies would have a full year from the date of the bill’s passage before being required to implement the changes. The first version gave 180 days, and a later revision included start dates depending on companies’ individual budget cycles. The final version included 180 additional days from the date of signing. “So that basically gives all organizations a 12-month timeframe rather than having some crossover depending on the budget cycle,” said Board Chair Joylette Portlock.
If the bill passes council, it would be the first of its kind to be adopted by a county government. Several states have enacted laws mandating paid parental leave. Democratic state senators introduced a bill in March, though it has not advanced in the Republican-controlled chamber.
Prior to the board’s vote, Armin Samii, a public commenter from Friendship, applauded the county’s initiative.
“We can’t wait for Harrisburg to act,” Sammi said. “If we want this, we’re going to have to start at the county level.”
Nobody spoke out against the bill during today’s meeting.
Other commentators said they would ultimately like to see stronger provisions.
Board member Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew drew on her work as an OB/GYN physician, stressing the need to improve outcomes for newborn and maternal health.
”This is still in a place where I can see a lot of pitfalls and a lot of people falling through the cracks,” Larkins-Pettigrew said.
Vann said the Health Department will continue to review
“This is a regulation and a policy that has great opportunity to adjust as we’re learning more over the years of the need that the community has,” Vann said. “Because we know there are a lot of ways in which this can be improved.”
Jamie Wiggan is deputy editor at Pittsburgh’s Public Source. He can be reached at jamie@publicsource.org.
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