Paid parental leave is likely coming To Ingham County government workers

For some parents working in the private sector in 2024, taking paid time off after the new child comes into the family is expected. 

Whether you’re the mother giving birth or the supporting parent, there can be late nights … like a lot of late nights … in a row.

At least that’s the experience of Ingham County Commissioner Gabrielle Lawrence, 

“It’s really hard to be a parent of young kids, even if you’re not the one giving birth,” she said.

The mother of 6- and 4-year-olds was surprised when coming into the county fold last year that Ingham County government doesn’t have any type of parental leave time. Neither did Clinton or Eaton either, for that matter.

Ingham County employees who want to take a few months off to acclimate their new lives with the new baby were expected to use their vacation time or banked time or sick time.

That may change soon.

Lawrence is leading the charge for a paid parental leave policy for all county employees that is at least as generous as the 12-week paid leave policy the state of Michigan gave its employees in 2020.

This summer, Lawerence, an attorney, brought the subject to the county’s Law and Court Committee, on which she serves.

As it turns out, someone with court experience— Circuit Court Judge Morgan Cole — came to the committee to voice her support.

Cole had three children as a county employee for a decade before becoming a judge.

Her first child was put in daycare at 5 weeks old because she didn’t have any additional time off. Cole’s second child was put into daycare at 8 weeks old. 

While she and her husband aren’t planning on more kids, she voiced support for the policy so future county employees wouldn’t have to put their newborns in daycare so soon after birth, especially before they’ve even had their shots.

Everybody on the committee supported the idea. It’s now in the hands of county staff, who are crafting a formal policy for final consideration.

It appears all the commissioners are on board, although Commissioner Mark Grebner questioned whether a change in employee benefits should go through the collective bargaining process with the county’s 17 or so labor units.

With 80% of county workers represented by unions, Grebner wondered if “we really ought to be working through those agents.”

“I really chafe at that,” Lawrence said. “This is a right that employees have, and they shouldn’t have to rely on their bargaining unit for it.”

Her point, also, was about non-represented employees. Should they not get the same benefit, as well?

Grebner also questioned the  proposed benefit’s cost. Would any existing programs need cuts? What about taxes — especially if it was implemented suddenly and outside of the bargaining process?

For Lawrence’s part, sick time should be used when you’re sick. Vacation time should be used for vacation. Parental leave time should be used when a new child is born or adopted.

Washtenaw County near Ann Arbor adopted this policy at the end of 2023 for its 1,400 employees. The city of East Grand Rapids did the same in February.

Two years into the program at the state level, 4 percent of state government’s 46,000 employees used 800,000 hours of paid time with their new babies, according to state numbers from 2022.

“You don’t work for the county to get rich,” Lawrence said. “The least we can do is give them good benefits.”

(Kyle Melinn is the editor of the Capitol news service MIRS. Email him at melinnky@gmail.com.)