The recently passed S.B. 119 now mandates that school districts are to establish parental leave policies that are the same or more generous than those for state government employees by July 1. In line with this, the Wasatch County School District have provisioned six weeks’ paid leave for teachers and staff who give birth during the school year while fathers, spouses, and those in similar parenting situations, such as fostering or adopted parents, are entitled to three weeks of paid leave. Changes to the old policy of 12 weeks of unpaid leave in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act have been successfully made, allowing for part of the 12 weeks to now be paid leave. Employees can also choose to use their sick days for further paid leave once the initial paid leave has been exhausted.

The amendment to the policy, board members believe, is a significant improvement from the previous unpaid leave regime and the three weeks paid maternity leave instituted last June. Not having a federal policy for paid parental leave is exceptional for the U.S. on a global scale. Despite the absence of a family leave mandate similar to about a dozen states, most of them provide 12 weeks of salary for new parents, based on information from the U.S. Department of Labor.

To reach out to someone regarding the amendment made to the previous parental leave policy, get more information and raise any questions on the topic, the best way to contact edd is through the website, eddcaller.com. This website provides service to those who require contact details for the EDD, and it also provides information about different sections such as Paid Family Leave.