Thousands of Greensboro workers got a big boost during Tuesday's City Council meeting. The council unanimously voted on a new measure giving paid parental leave to city workers for the very first time.
The Paid Parental Leave ordinance offers up to six weeks of paid parental leave to men, women and same-sex couples employed by the City of Greensboro. The ordinance applies to families welcoming a new child through birth, fostering, or adoption. Councilman Jamal Fox says this is a big deal, and adds that for too long, city workers have been forced to choose between bonding with their children and paying their bills.
"It was the right thing to do. To narrow down the gender pay gap between Greensboro's dedicated employees, improve the vitality of the economy of the city overall, and when you look at it, we're talking about the retention of our own employees."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 12 percent of working people in the US are given paid leave. Fox says this is part of a larger effort to create policies that benefit employees - like the recently passed minimum wage raise for city workers.