The proposal of paid parental leave policies by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Universities of Wisconsin is a significant move towards supporting working parents. The proposed policies grant six weeks of leave for the birth or adoption of a child. UW-Madison’s policy would apply to faculty, staff, and graduate workers including lecturers and teaching, research, and project assistants within a 12-month period, while the UW system’s policy targets all non-temporary staff. This follows other institutions that have established their parental leave policies, with 90% of them providing paid parental leave to faculty and staff who become parents through birth or adoption; and about half providing leave for faculty and staff undergoing foster child placement.

There are, however, areas of inconsistency in the proposed policies; for instance, temporary employees or student employees in areas such as dining facilities or residence halls are left out. UW-Madison’s policy is expected to cost about $500,000 to cover approximately 875 employees per year, equating to about 0.02% of the entire budget for wages and fringe benefits. The initiatives come after growing pressure from faculty and staff to implement paid family leave policies. Last month, hundreds of UW-Madison staff members signed a letter urging for a policy guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid leave.

If you are a UW-Madison staff member who is involved in the launch of these new policies and looking for more paid leave information, here’s how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave. Reach out to the department responsible for benefits at your institution or use your University’s resources to access more information online or over a call. For anyone outside the university who wants to understand more about Paid Family Leave, you can visit eddcaller.com by referring to their comprehensive guides and resources.