HOUSTON — Houston’s first-ever paid parental leave policy could be coming for city employees, with a vote scheduled by City Council in April.
Because the city follows federal guidelines under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), there is currently no paid parental leave for the city’s roughly 22,000 employees. That means if they haven’t accrued enough vacation or sick time, they must take off unpaid days.
Council Member Abbie Kamin, who represents District C, gave birth in 2021 after being pregnant during the first year of the pandemic.
“I don’t qualify for FMLA because City Council employees are technically part-time, but I was saying, ‘How can a city employee go through this?’” recalled Kamin.
Kamin helped create the city’s Women’s Commission, which just recommended a paid parental leave policy for city employees.
“This came about not just from my story but from countless other women I’ve spoken to, we’ve interviewed at every level at the city,” said Kamin.
The draft policy covers full-time City of Houston employees on the job for at least 6 months. They’d be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave after a birth, adoption, or placement of a foster-to-adopt child.
Council will also consider pre-and post-natal wellness leave, along with infant wellness leave.
“This should have been done long ago,” said Kamin. “It’s time, and I am so thankful that we have the opportunity to do this.”
Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement, “By offering paid parental leave, the City of Houston will be able to attract and retain top talent while supporting families and children.”
"The City is able to offer these new benefits with no budgetary impact to the City as the hours approved under this ordinance are already included in the annual budgeted personnel costs," a document the mayor's office sent KHOU 11 reads.
Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin all have similar policies.
“Houston is catching up,” said Elizabeth Gregory Director of the University of Houston’s Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies program.
Gregory also serves on Houston’s Women’s Commission.
“I think as a society, our attitude for a long time has been, ‘It’s your family, it’s your problem,’” said Gregory. “We’re starting to realize that that attitude is not sufficient, and it doesn’t really serve us well as a society.”
The proposal will go before the council’s Quality of Life Committee on April 7 so that council members can learn more about the plan and ask questions.
The full council is scheduled to vote on the measure on April 13.
If approved, the paid parental leave would go into effect on May 14.