Employee Handbook

Section 6 — Paid Parental Leave

Purpose/Objective

The City of West Des Moines will provide up to four (4) calendar weeks of paid parental leave to employees following the birth of an employee’s child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster to adopt care. The purpose of paid parental leave is to enable the employee to care for and bond with a newborn or newly adopted or newly placed to adopt child. Paid Parental Leave is to be used to care for and bond with newborn or newly adopted or newly placed to adopt child, not for any other purposes. This policy will run concurrently with Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, as applicable. (See Section 6.10 – Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA))

Eligibility

Eligible employees must meet the following criteria:

1. Have been employed with the City of West Des Moines and have successfully completed their Probationary/Introductory Period.
2. Be a regular full-time employee
3. Regular three-quarter and half part-time employees will be eligible for a pro-rated leave.
4. Temporary or seasonal employees and interns are not eligible for this benefit.

In addition, employees must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Have given birth to a child
2. Be a spouse or Domestic Partner of a person who has given birth to a child
3. Have adopted a child, been placed with a foster-to-adopt child (in either case, the child must be age 17 or younger), or is a surrogate parent. The adoption of a new spouse’s child is excluded from this policy.

*Surrogate individuals are not eligible for parental leave but may be eligible for other medical leave benefits.

See Section 6.10, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Amount, Time Frame, and Duration of Paid Parental Leave

Eligible employees will receive a maximum of four (4) calendar weeks of paid parental leave per birth, adoption, or placement of child/children. The fact that a multiple birth, adoption, or placement occurs (e.g., the birth of twins or adoption of siblings) does not increase the up to four (4) calendar weeks total amount of paid parental leave granted for that event. In addition, in no case will an employee receive more than four (4) calendar weeks of paid parental leave in a rolling 12-month period, regardless of whether more than one birth, adoption, or foster-to-adopt care placement event occurs within that 12-month time frame.

Each week of paid parental leave is compensated at 100 percent of the employee’s regular, straight-time weekly pay. Paid parental leave will be paid on a biweekly basis on regularly scheduled pay dates. A four-week calendar equivalent will be calculated based on the regular schedule of the employee.

Approved paid parental leave may be taken at any time during the 6-month period immediately following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child with the employee. Paid parental leave may not be used or extended beyond this 6-month time frame.

Employees may take paid parental leave in one continuous period of leave or intermittently with their supervisor’s approval and must use all paid parental leave during 6-month time frame indicated above. Any unused paid parental leave will be forfeited at the end of the 6-month time frame.

Upon termination of the individual’s employment with the City, the employee will not be paid for any unused paid parental leave for which they were eligible.

Coordination with Other Policies

Paid parental leave taken under this policy will run concurrently with leave under the FMLA; thus, any leave taken under this policy that falls under the definition of circumstances qualifying for leave due to the birth of placement of a child due to adoption or foster to adopt, the leave will be counted toward the 12 weeks of available FMLA leave per a 12-month period. All other requirements and provisions under the FMLA will apply. In no case will the total amount of leave – whether paid or unpaid – granted to the employee under the FMLA exceed 12 weeks during the 12-month FMLA period. Please refer to the Family and Medical Leave Policy for further guidance on the FMLA. (See Section 6.10 – Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA))

Upon exhaustion of accrued sick, vacation, personal time and parental leave, any remaining leave will be unpaid leave. Please refer to the Family and Medical Leave Policy for further guidance on the FMLA.

The City will maintain all benefits for the employee during the paid parental leave period just as if they were taking any other City paid leave such as paid vacation leave or paid sick leave.

If a City holiday occurs while the employee is on paid parental leave, such day will be charged to holiday pay; however, such holiday pay will not extend the total paid parental leave entitlement.

Requests for Paid Parental Leave

The employee will provide their supervisor and the Human Resources department with notice of the request for leave at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of the leave (or if the leave was not foreseeable, as soon as possible). The employee must complete the necessary forms and provide all documentation as required by the Human Resources department to substantiate the request.

As is the case with all city policies, the organization has the exclusive right to interpret this policy.  

See Section 6.10, FMLA