ATLANTA (AP) – More than 450 Georgia state and public university employees have already used a new law that grants new parents up to three weeks of paid leave.
WAGA-TV reports 143 state employees have used 13,440 hours of paid parental leave since the law took effect on July 1. Also taking the leave have been 324 University System of Georgia workers.
Public school employees are also eligible to take leave, but school districts keep their own records and haven’t reported figures.
Overall, 260,000 employees can now get paid time off after the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. Before, state employees were only eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave as required by federal law.
Michael Polacek, who works for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, said he has stayed home to help his wife, Erin Schulberg, after the birth of their child.
“There’s something about the first three weeks. There’s so much going on and we’re adjusting to our life,” said Polacek. “It’s a spiritual, emotional, and physical experience and together as a unit, a family unit, we get to be present for that.”
House Speaker David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican, made the measure one of his priorities.
“This is really the kind of measure that touches lives and makes a difference to families,” said Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican. “It will be a message to the state workers who probably could make more money in the private sector in many cases that we appreciate them working for the state and we value their service.”
Both mothers and fathers can use the leave. An employee qualifies after six months of continuous employment with a government agency, college or school.
The measure does not cover leave to care for sick family members or for personal medical problems. It also doesn’t cover private employers.