BATON ROUGE – On Nov. 9, Gov. John Bel Edwards joined state workers and elected officials to announce the impending implementation of paid parental leave for all Louisiana state employees. The governor’s executive 0rder, in combination with the new Civil Service rule, provides six weeks of 100% paid parental leave for classified and unclassified state employees.
“I’m thrilled to announce the adoption of paid parental leave for the nearly 70,000 state employees in Louisiana,” said Gov. Edwards in a press release. “Paid parental leave means better outcomes for every family member, allowing parents to bond with their child without the financial stress of sacrificing their income, savings or paid sick days. By joining the 32 other states with paid parental leave policies, we are positioning ourselves to both attract and retain top talent in the state.”
State employees who are legal, adoptive, or foster parents are entitled to a parental leave benefit of six weeks at 100% pay within 12 weeks of a birth or placement for adoption or foster care to promote bonding with a new child. Employees become eligible for the benefit after working for the state for at least one year, which mirrors eligibility for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The benefit becomes effective January 1, 2024.
“The policy being implemented today will provide a very important benefit to state employees, and I appreciate the state taking the lead,” said State Rep. Sam Jenkins, who advocated for the new policy. “With it, we are sending a signal to young families that we want to attract and retain them in Louisiana.”