July 5, 2023 — Ballots to vote on ratification of the 2023-2026 PEF/State Tentative Agreement will start hitting members’ mailboxes after July 5 and, if ratified, members who welcome a baby, an adopted child, or a foster child, could be eligible for a new benefit: Paid Parental Leave (PPL).
“This is a gamechanger for some of our brothers and sisters,” said President Wayne Spence. “PPL allows for up to 12 weeks of fully paid leave without charge to accruals for parental leave completed within seven months of the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. There is no cost to members for this valuable benefit.”
PPL can be used in combination with other paid and unpaid childcare leave benefits, but not at the same time. PPL must also be taken in one solid block of time.
The benefit would be retroactive to leaves taken on or after April 2, 2023, and completed within seven months of the qualifying event (birth, adoption, or foster care placement).
If an employee gave birth, adopted or fostered prior to ratification, they have the option of being made whole after ratification for a solid block of time charged to accruals or time taken off State payroll on or after April 2, 2023, as long as that time is concluded within seven months of the qualifying event.
As an example: If the TA is ratified and a person had a baby on March 1, 2023, and they used leave for the months of March and April and returned to work on May 1, the portion of the leave after April 2, 2023, would be covered by PPL as that’s still within seven months of the qualifying event. Or, they could choose to go out July, August and September, and have that covered by PPL instead of April. The time has to be used in a solid block.
If ratified, this benefit would be available to employees who work full-time or at least 50% part-time, beginning after six months of state service.
Employees have always been entitled to seven months of childcare leave, but some may have been unable to take full advantage of that time because they cannot afford taking leave without pay or may not have enough accruals. This benefit will allow those members to spend more time on leave.
Ratification ballots will be mailed on July 5, 2023, and are due back by July 27, 2023, to be counted on July 28, 2023. If the Tentative Agreement is approved by the membership, the ratification date will be July 28, 2023.
For a comprehensive fact sheet on PPL, click here.
If you have additional questions about your personal situation, contact your field representative or the Contract Administration department at 518-785-1900, ext. 223.