PERSONNEL POLICIES CITY OF

& MANUAL NEWBERRY

We are dedicated to providing exceptional service to our community, to

enhancing the quality of life and well-being of our citizens and preserving
our history. We achieve this through embracing our core values of
Teamwork, Respect, Accountability, Innovation, Leadership, and Service.
Personnel Policies & Manual March 14, 2022

The City shall not be responsible for payment of premiums to provide continuation of group health
and life insurance benefits during an unpaid leave of absence. In order to keep the insurance in
force and effect, the employee is responsible for paying the premiums for the entire period of the
leave at the beginning of the leave.

10.18 Paid Parental Leave

10.18.1 Purpose
The City of Newberry supports employees who become parents by ensuring they can
contribute fully to the workplace and also meet the needs of their families. The availability of
paid parental leave has been shown to increase the likelihood that parents return to their
jobs following the birth of a child which reduces the City’s turnover costs, and paid
parentalleave has been shown to improve the health and development outcomes of infants.
In addition, it is critically important for parents and their newborn, newly adopted child, or
foster child to have the opportunity to form strong family attachments and relationships.

10.18.2 General Policy

The City will provide up to six (6) weeks of paid parental leave (PPL) for primary caregivers
and up to two (2) weeks of paid parental leave for secondary caregivers following the birth of
an employee’s child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with
adoption or foster care, or permanent guardianship. PPL will be at 100% of the employee’s
base pay, based upon their normal average workweek. The purpose of paid parental leave is
to enable the employee to care for and bond with a newborn or a newly adopted or newly
placed child. This policy will run concurrently with Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
leave, as applicable. This policy will be in effect for births, adoptions, or placements of foster
children occurring on or after the effective date of this policy.

The primary caregiver is the person who has primary responsibility for the care of a child
immediately following the birth (and may typically also be recovering from childbirth) or the
coming of the child into the adoptive or initial foster care and control of the parent for the
first time.

The secondary caregiver is the person who has a spouse or partner that is serving as the
primary caregiver because there can only be one person designated as the primary caregiver.

10.18.3 Eligibility
In order to be eligible for paid parental leave an employee must meet the following criteria:

• Have been employed by the City of Newberry for at least twelve months.
• Have worked at least 1,250 hours during the twelve-month period preceding the leave.
• Be a regular employee not covered by a collective bargaining agreement (temporary
employees and interns are not eligible for this benefit).

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Personnel Policies & Manual March 14, 2022

If both parents work for the City only one employee may be designated as the primary
caregiver, and they may take their parental leave period concurrently, subsequently, or in any
other combination, they wish but must conclude within the first twelve (12) weeks following
the birth, adoption, or foster care placement. Parents may also share the combined eight (8)
weeks of PPL between the two parents. IE both parents may take four (4) or one may take
eight (8).

10.18.4 Qualifying Reasons

Paid Parental Leave (PPL) under the terms of this policy is available to eligible employees for
one or more of the following qualifying reasons:

• The birth of child/children of the employee, or to care for the newborn child/children
(within 12 weeks of birth);
• The placement of a child/children with the employee for adoption or foster care,
guardianship, in loco parentis placement, or to care for the newly placed child(ren)
(within 12 weeks of placement). The child must be 17 years old or younger. This
provision does not apply to the adoption of a stepchild by a stepparent.
• The recovery from stillbirth.

10.18.5 Amount, Time Frame, And Duration Of Paid Parental

Leave
Eligible employees will receive a maximum of six weeks of paid parental leave per birth,
adoption or placement of the child(ren). The fact that a multiple birth, adoption or placement
occurs (e.g., the birth of twins or adoption of siblings) does not increase the six-week total
amount of paid parental leave granted for that event. In addition, in no case will an employee
receive more than six (6) weeks of paid parental leave in a rolling 12-month period,
regardless of whether more than one birth, adoption or foster care placement event occurs
within that 12-month time frame.

PPL may be taken by day or week during the first 12 weeks after the birth, adoption, or foster
care intake of the child or children. Parents may take their first week of PPL one week prior
to their delivery, adoption, or placement date.

Each week of paid parental leave is compensated at 100 percent of the employee’s regular,
straight-time average weekly base pay, not including acting, supervisory, or other temporary
pay increases. Paid parental leave will be paid on a bi-weekly basis on regularly scheduled
pay dates.

Short Term Disability (STD) must be used (when applicable) concurrently with paid parental
leave; PPL will offset any pay not covered by STD, including the elimination period.

Any unused paid parental leave will be forfeited 12 weeks after the birth, adoption, or foster
care intake of the child or children. There shall be an exception for employees who have
another qualifying event during the subsequent 12-month rolling period. That employee may
use previously unused PPL for the subsequent event, but will not be entitled to any additional
PPL.

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Personnel Policies & Manual March 14, 2022

10.18.6 Coordination With Other Policies

Paid parental leave taken under this policy will run concurrently with leave under and count
as part of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); thus, any leave taken under this policy that
falls under the definition of circumstances qualifying for leave due to the birth or placement
of a child due to adoption or foster care, the leave will be counted toward the 12 weeks of
available FMLA leave per a 12-month period. All other requirements and provisions under the
FMLA will apply. In no case will the total amount of leave—whether paid or unpaid— granted
to the employee under the FMLA exceed 12 weeks during the 12-month FMLA period. Please
refer to the Family and Medical Leave Policy for further guidance on the FMLA.

After the paid parental leave (and any short-term disability leave for employees giving birth) is
exhausted, the balance of FMLA leave (if applicable) will be compensated through
employees’ accrued sick, vacation or other time. Upon exhaustion of accruals, any remaining
leave will be unpaid leave. Please refer to the Family and Medical Leave Policy for further
guidance on the FMLA.

The City will maintain all benefits for employees during the paid parental leave period just as
if they were taking any other paid leave of absence.

If a City holiday occurs while the employee is on paid parental leave, such day will be charged
to holiday pay; however, such holiday pay will not extend the total paid parental leave
entitlement.

If the employee is on paid parental leave when the City offers administrative leave, that time
will be recorded as paid parental leave. Administrative leave will not extend the paid parental
leave entitlement.

10.18.7 Request For Paid Parental Leave

Employees seeking paid parental leave must provide their Department Director and the
Human Resources Department at least thirty (30) days advanced notice before the leave is
to begin if the need for the leave is foreseeable based on an expected birth, placement for
adoption or foster care. If thirty (30) days’ notice is not practicable, notice must be given as
soon as practicable.

When medical emergencies are involved, notice may be given in person or by telephone and
may be given by the employee’s spouse or another family member if the employee is unable
to do so due to a serious health condition. Written notice will not be required in the case of a
medical emergency.

Employees seeking paid parental leave shall complete the necessary documentation to the
Human Resources Department, stating the reason for the request, and the beginning and
ending dates of the requested leave. The City will make a determination of the employee’s
eligibility and qualification, and approve or deny the request for parental leave.

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