Governing policy: Paid Parental Leave Policy

Department: Human Resources

Effective: May 10, 2024

Purpose and use of paid parental leave (PRL)

Paid parental leave is a benefit to eligible employees recognizing family and work-life balance as important and vital to the success of the City of Minneapolis. Paid parental leave provides up to twelve weeks of paid leave to eligible employees following the live birth or placement for adoption of a child. This leave is intended to provide paid time to bond with the new child and adjust to a new family situation. Eligible employees must exhaust their paid parental leave within twelve months of the qualifying event. Leave not used within twelve months of the qualifying event will be forfeited. The leave must be used in a solid block of time/continuously, unless a shorter duration of leave is approved by management, as described below.

Eligibility

To be eligible for paid parental leave, the employee must:

1. Be a regular full-time, seasonal full-time, or regular part-time employee at the time of the qualifying event; and
2. Become a parent through a qualifying event occurring on or after the effective date of the Policy

The term “qualifying event” means the live birth or placement for adoption of a child (or in the case of multiple births, children). The live birth of an employee’s child is a qualifying event regardless of whether the employee is a birthing parent and includes the live birth of an employee’s child by the employee’s spouse or gestational surrogate.

For the purposes of the Paid Parental Leave Policy, "registered domestic partners," as defined in Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Chapter 142, are considered spouses.

Regular full-time, seasonal full-time, and regular part-time employees with qualifying events within twelve weeks prior to the effective date of the Policy shall be permitted to seek adjustment of any paid or unpaid leave already taken related to the qualifying event and shall be eligible to access additional paid parental leave to the extent they have not already taken twelve weeks of paid or unpaid leave related to the qualifying event.

Amount of leave available

Eligible employees will be provided with paid parental leave as follows:

1. Regular full-time employee - Up to 480 hours (twelve weeks) of leave.
2. Seasonal full-time employee - Up to 480 hours of leave.
3. Regular part-time employee who works at least 20 hours per week - pro-rated in accordance with their regular work schedule.
4. Sworn Fire Personnel working a 24-hour shift – Up to 656 hours of leave.
5. Multiple births or adoptions do not increase the amount of the paid parental leave granted for the event.

Roles and responsibilities

Using paid parental leave

Paid parental leave is to be used to bond with a new child living with the employee and to adjust to a new family situation. Eligible employees must exhaust their paid parental leave within twelve months of the qualifying event. Leave not used within twelve months will be forfeited. Paid parental leave must be used in one continuous block of time, unless smaller weekly increments are approved by management. In no case will leave be approved in blocks shorter than two weeks at a time.

Paid parental leave and other types of leave

Paid parental leave will run concurrently with other leaves available under federal and state law as described below:

1. Family Medical Leave (FML) under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): When an employee is eligible for and has not exhausted their FML, paid parental leave will run concurrently with the employee’s FML.
2. Pregnancy and Parenting Leave (PPL) granted under state law: When an employee is eligible for and has not exhausted their PPL, paid parental leave will run concurrently with the employee’s entitlement to leave under Minnesota’s pregnancy and parenting laws.
3. Holiday leave: If a paid holiday occurs during the time an employee is on paid parental leave, the employee’s time should be coded consecutively as paid parental leave and not holiday The holiday will not extend the length of the paid parental leave.
4. Vacation and sick leave: Vacation and sick leave will continue to accrue while an employee is out on paid parental leave.

Accessing paid parental leave benefits

1. Employees seeking paid parental leave under the policy must contact The Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) to complete the leave request process and fill out the appropriate paperwork.
2. Employees seeking to use paid parental leave in multiple blocks of time must contact their manager to discuss approval of anticipated use.
3. The Standard confirms employee eligibility for FMLA and state law PPL (if applicable) and for leave under the Paid Parental Leave Policy.
   1. If eligibility for FMLA/PPL and paid parental leave is confirmed, The Standard approves leave and informs employee and immediate The Standard also communicates with management regarding timing of the leave and leave taken in multiple blocks of time.
   2. If employee is not yet eligible for FMLA/PPL, or has exhausted their FMLA/PPL leave, The Standard will determine employee eligibility for leave under the Paid Parental Leave Policy. If eligible, The Standard approves the paid parental leave and informs employee and immediate supervisor. The Standard also communicates with management regarding timing of the leave and leave taken in multiple blocks of time.
4. Paid parental leave begins and employee enters time in COMET (or Workforce Director), using the appropriate payroll codes (COMET Payroll Codes = PRF (paid parental leave + FMLA); PRL (paid parental leave only or paid parental leave + state PPL); PRG (Fire personnel working 24 hour shifts + paid parental leave + FMLA; PRM (Fire personnel working 24 hour shifts + paid parental leave only or paid parental leave + state PPL)).
5. Immediate supervisor reviews and approves time in COMET (or Workforce Director).

Termination of Paid Parental Leave

The ability to access and use paid parental leave will end as described below:

1. Employee initiates and utilizes the maximum amount of leave (up to twelve weeks) within twelve months of the birth or placement for adoption of the child.
2. Twelve months elapses since the birth or placement for adoption of the child

If an employee fails to access and/or utilize some or all of the paid parental leave within the twelve months after the birth or placement for adoption of the child, the leave will be lost/forfeited.

If an employee voluntarily separates from employment either without returning to work or within four weeks of returning to work following a paid parental leave, the employee will be responsible for repaying all amounts received under the Paid Parental Leave Policy.

Appeal process

Should an employee disagree with a decision (e.g. request for leave denied, request for leave not timely, etc.) regarding leave under the Paid Parental Leave Policy, the employee may appeal to the Chief Human Resources Officer (or designee) who will conduct a review of relevant information. The appeal must state the specific issue being appealed, the factual basis for the appeal, and include any other information in support of the appeal.

Appeals must be made in writing and directed to the following:

Chief Human Resources Officer, Nikki Odom
City of Minneapolis Human Resources Department
350 South 5th Street – Room 1
Minneapolis, MN 55415

Appeals must be received within 15 calendar days of the decision regarding the specific issue being appealed.

The decision of the Chief Human Resources Officer (or designee) shall be final.