San Francisco restaurants with more than 20 workers will soon be required tofund part of their employees’ parental leaves, as the city has approved a measure that will make it the first in the nation to mandate that new mothers and fathers receive their full income during parental time off.
The measure, which was passed Tuesday by the city’s Board of Supervisors, extends six weeks of fully paid time off after a birth or adoption, or to care for a sick family member.
California currently offers partial paid leave for new parents, up to 55 percent of a worker’s income for six weeks. San Francisco employers will cover the remaining 45 percent, according to media reports.
The new policy, which will be enacted next year, has different compliance dates for businesses of varying sizes.
Parental leave has been top of mind for restaurants in New York as well. On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a provision requiring that employers in that state offer up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for matters such as caring for a new baby or a sick family member.
Starting in 2018, New York workers taking such leave would receive up to 50 percent of their pay, depending on their income level, a percentage that jumps to 67 percent by 2021.
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