GEORGIA — Today, the Georgia Coalition on Paid Leave announced the release of a comprehensive fact sheet detailing the newly expanded paid parental leave benefits for state government and public school employees. Following the enactment of House Bill 1010 earlier this month, the paid parental leave program was extended from 3 weeks to 6 weeks. The benefit can be utilized by employees for the birth of a child or the placement of a minor child through adoption or foster care.
The fact sheet provides clear guidance on the policy, eligibility criteria and steps state workers and teachers need to take to access their benefits. It also highlights the inclusion of charter school employees under the new legislation and the requirement for employers to notify staff about the benefit at least once a year.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-McDonough) in the House and Senator Brian Strickland (R-Milton) in the Senate, received broad bipartisan support.
“We are pleased to see the expansion of this important benefit,” said Jasmine Bowles, State Director of 9to5 Georgia. “Our goal now is to ensure all eligible state and public school employees know about it. With that, we hope to also push for expanded parental paid leave beyond state workers. Paid leave should be available for all workers in Georgia.”
“By expanding access to paid parental leave for public sector workers, Georgia is keeping pace with peer states across the Southern region,” said Feroza Freeland, Senior Policy Manager of the Southern Office at A Better Balance. “It is critical for parents to understand how the expanded paid parental leave benefits work, so they can be empowered to advocate for themselves and their families in the workplace.”
“Paid leave is a vital support that allows workers to maintain economic stability as their families grow,” said Staci Fox, CEO of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. “State workers and teachers deserve the reassurance that they have additional financial support as they care for their families.”
The fact sheet is available for download here. The Coalition’s recent paid leave Know Your Rights training is also available here. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Lauren Frazier at lfrazier@gbpi.org or Tiffany Garnace at tiffany@9to5.org.
