San Francisco First to Mandate Fully Paid Parental Leave

San Francisco has piggy-backed on an existing California law allowing parents to take six weeks of 55-percent paid leave for the birth of a child by mandating their employers pay the other 45 percent. Result: Continuation of regular pay for six weeks upon the birth of a child. The 55 percent is currently paid from a state fund. The S.F. ordinance requires employers to make up the difference. The benefit will be available to any employee who works at least eight hours a week and spends at least 40 percent of the workweek within San Francisco boundaries. The new benefit is being phased in, starting with businesses with 50 or more employees on January 1, 2017. The City and County of San Francisco is thus the first government entity in the U.S. to mandate fully paid parental leave.