Supporters of paid family leave for state workers applaud new Georgia law

Parents working in state government and public schools will be able to take up to six weeks of paid parental leave under a new Georgia law.

Beginning July 1, eligible government employees will have the opportunity to take up to 240 hours of paid parental leave within a year of the birth of their child, or within a year after adoption or taking in a minor through foster care.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 1010 Wednesday, which doubles the length of paid leave from three to six weeks that is available to state government and public school employees.

Nonprofit organizations 9to5 Georgia and the GA Coalition for Paid Leave applauded Republican House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones and Sen. Brian Strickland, a McDonough Republican, for championing legislation that expands a 2021 law that gave state employees up to three weeks off to care for their new child.

The nonprofit advocates for parental leave stressed on Wednesday that they remain committed to expanding paid private sector family leave that is unavailable to 78% of Georgians. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, two-thirds of Georgia residents are prevented from taking unpaid leave due to eligibility restrictions and financial constraints.

Feroza Freeland, senior policy manager at A Better Balance’s Southern Office, said Georgia became a regional leader by enacting paid parental leave for public sector employees in 2021.

State lawmakers passed similar policies in South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida and Texas since then, allowing for six to eight weeks of paid parental leave for people working in the public sector.

Families and the economy benefit from better access to paid leave by providing better financial security and peace of mind during difficult times, Freeland said.

The majority of workers in the South do not have access to paid family leave through their employers while the federal Family and Medical Leave Act only provides unpaid leave and leaves more than 40% of U.S. workers uncovered, Freeland said.

Georgia now has the opportunity to take a more significant step soon by providing at least 12 weeks of paid leave to anyone in the workforce caring for an infant child or an ill family member.

“When we’re talking about paid leave, what we’re really talking about is all Georgia families being able to have financial security and peace of mind during some of life’s most important and often difficult moments,” she said.

Jasmine Bowles, executive state director of 9to5 Georgia, said state leaders should continue prioritizing the well-being of families by passing policies that offer up to 12 weeks of parental leave and allow employees to take more sick days and family and medical leave without missing out on wages.

9to5 Georgia and the paid leave coalition also favor removing Georgia’s sunset provision on paid sick leave so that workers can use up to five sick days per year to care for a family member.

“We really understand that supporting the workforce is a priority for all of us, including our state leaders, and it’s a critical component of a healthy workforce,” Bowles said. “Paid leave for both parents has been shown to increase employee retention, decrease turnover and save employers money because they don’t have to rehire or retrain.”

Daniel Campos, a community organizer for Poder Latinx, emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to paid leave for the Hispanic community, which has a high number of mothers who are forced to return to work shortly after giving birth as a result of financial hardship.

Campos said that non-native English speakers need access to a variety of language resources related to workforce leave policies.

“We would like to applaud Speaker Pro Tem Jane Jones and Sen. Brian Strickland for being champions for the crucial policy that Georgians and Americans need,” he said. “But keep in mind we’re not done yet, and will continue to advocate for a comprehensive paid leave policy for all workers in Georgia.”