Edwardsville Township Approves Paid Paternal Leave
Edwardsville Township is pleased to announce that the township board passed paid parental leave for Edwardsville Township's full-time employees, providing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new mothers and fathers.
“Edwardsville Township strives to be a leader in our community and is aware of the many challenges facing new parents,” said Township Supervisor Kevin Hall. “We hope this demonstrates how much we value our great employees and will be an example for other organizations in our community.”
From the University of Illinois School of Labor & Employee Relations:
- Paid parental leave is associated with lower rates of child mortality, higher rates of vaccination, reduced risk of childhood obesity and diabetes, and more regular health check-ups.
- Paid parental leave increases weekly hours worked for mothers by up to 17 percent in the years after birth, boosting labor force participation.
- Paid leave for fathers shortens leaves for mothers and lifts the salary potential of women.
- U.S. businesses lose $3 billion each year from employee absenteeism caused by childcare needs.
- Paid parental leave improves worker productivity and reduces employee turnover, with 99 percent of employers reporting a positive or no negative effect on employee morale.