Kentucky executive branch employees to get paid parental leave

Kentucky state employees who work in the executive branch will soon be eligible for paid family leave. 

Executive branch state employees who have a child through adoption, foster care or birth, will be able to take up to six weeks of paid parental leave on day one of employment. There are about 30,000 executive branch employees, according to the Personnel Cabinet. 

Gov. Andy Beshear said his administration will file amendments to Kentucky administrative regulations to allow new parents — and employees with “serious health conditions” — the extra time off. 

“Once everything is approved, this benefit will be available as early as summer of 2025,” he said during a Thursday press conference. “It is the right thing to do for our employees. We care about our employees, and we’re going to keep fighting for you.”  

The first time an employee can access this benefit is from day one to year 10 of employment, Beshear said. They can access it again between years 10 and 20, and between year 20 and the end of their career. 

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, who made history as the first lieutenant governor to give birth while in office, said that “no one needs” such a benefit “more than a new mom or a patient who just got some not so great news.”  

“Two months after taking the oath of office, I gave birth to Evelynne, so I know how critical those first days and weeks are to bonding with your newborn,” she said. “In six days, it will be exactly one year since my double mastectomy. So I know how important it is to focus on your health without having to worry about work.”  

She added: “just about everybody has a story like this, and if you don’t, chances are you love someone who does, which is why I’m so happy that Gov. Beshear has taken this important step.” 

Paid family leave has a “positive impact” on families following birth, according to research published in the National Library of Medicine, such as “improved postpartum mental health, increased breastfeeding and infant immunization rates and decreased infant mortality rates.” 

A similar Republican effort failed to pass the General assembly during the 2024 legislative session. Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe introduced a bill that would have allowed eligible state employees to take up to four weeks of paid parental leave. It passed the Senate but died in the House. 

In a statement, Bledsoe said she “communicated with the Beshear administration regarding my proposed 2024 legislation…and expressed my belief that they had both the opportunity and authority to take the actions they have now taken.”

“I look forward to reviewing their actions more fully through the administrative regulations process and determining whether we should codify it into state law or perhaps take steps to strengthen it further,” she said. This is a unique approach to providing paid family leave, so it deserves our attention.”

Providing paid family leave, she said, is a “pro-family and pro-workforce step forward that will result in increased retention, competitiveness, and morale.”

“I believe in the benefits of paid family leave and fully support implementing this benefit for our Commonwealth’s employees. Kentucky has lagged in this area for far too long,” she said. “The great news is that additional funding is not required to allow moms and dads to spend time with their children during those crucial early days.”

This story may be updated.