United WE commends Kansas Governor Laura Kelly on the issuance of Executive Order 21-24, which expands parental leave benefits to primary caregivers, secondary caregivers, and foster parents.
Paid family leave allows new parents to spend more time bonding with their children, improving overall health and education outcomes. Paid family leave policies are also good for business; research shows that employees are more productive and motivated, and retention is higher.
The new policy, detailed in a press release linked here, is as follows:
Primary caregivers receive eight weeks of leave (an increase of two weeks from the original policy);
Secondary caregivers receive four weeks of leave (an increase of one week from the original policy);
Foster parents are now eligible for parental leave, with primary caregivers receiving eight weeks of leave and secondary caregivers receiving four weeks of leave;
Parental leave can now be used thirty days in advance of the birth date, adoption, or fostering of a child or children per calendar year;
New State employees become eligible after 180 days of employment. Current employees will not be subjected to this requirement.
“Paid family leave is a win-win for both families and employers. Policies like this that expand these benefits to women and their families bolster economies, improve health and education outcomes and strengthens business through a stronger employee workforce. We applaud Governor Kelly’s action today and urge other states without paid family leave policies to consider the research-backed benefits of strong economic policies that support employees and their families.” - United WE President & CEO Wendy Doyle
Thank you, Governor Kelly, for your support of families across Kansas. Read the full press release here.