The policy will give primary caregivers six weeks of paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child
TOPEKA – The Women’s Foundation today commended Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer for signing an executive order providing paid parental leave to Kansas state employees. Expanding access to paid leave has been a top priority of the Women’s Foundation, which worked with the Governor’s office to provide research on the benefits of paid family and medical leave.
“This is great news for state employees, and all Kansans who will benefit from a healthier, stronger and more productive state workforce,” said Wendy Doyle, President and CEO of the Women’s Foundation. “Over the past two years, the family-friendly policies we championed here in the heartland have helped spur a national movement towards paid family leave that is benefiting state employees from coast to coast. We commend Governor Colyer for taking this positive step, and look forward to continuing to promote equity and opportunity across the region.”
Under the policy, all state employees under the governor's jurisdiction will be eligible to receive paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child, with primary caregivers receiving six weeks and secondary caregivers receiving three weeks. Employees will receive 100 percent of their regular salary during their leave.
Over the past two years, the Women’s Foundation worked with Missouri officials to expand paid parental leave to employees of nearly every state agency. Women’s Foundation research, commissioned in partnership with the University of Missouri Institute of Public Policy, found that PFL programs prevent families from falling into poverty, reduce reliance on public assistance, recruit and retain talented employees, and increase worker productivity.
Kansas joins 14 states and the District of Columbia that provide paid parental leave to all or some of their workforce: Arkansas, California, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.
Women’s Foundation’s Paid Leave Policy Research Brief is available here.
Women’s Foundation promotes equity and opportunity for women of all ages, using research, philanthropy and policy solutions to make meaningful change. More information about the organization can be found at www.Womens-Foundation.org.