In 2018 Minneapolis established a paid parental leave policy of three weeks for its city employees. Now in an effort to make the city an inviting place to work, they're bumping it up to a full 12 weeks for both parents, a nine week increase.
Minneapolis City Council Member Andrew Johnson spearheaded the policy change.
“This is what that is truly about, is how do we attract more employees,” Johnson asks. “How do we retain more employees and how do we support the employees and their families that we have at the city?”
Now Minneapolis outpaces many competitors. St. Paul city employees get four weeks and only two for the non-birth parent. Hennepin County and University of Minnesota employees get six weeks of parental leave. And Minneapolis's policy now matches the Federal Government policy, which also offers 12 weeks.
But the council also said it's about more than just recruiting and retention.
“This is part of a broader set of issues around reproductive justice and freedoms,” says Council Member Elliot Payne. “And in my own family, we've had a lot of challenges in this space. And I wonder if we had stronger support for family planning would me and my wife be in a different place if we were able to try earlier in life.
Payne and several other members also shared stories of how the policy has impacted their lives, including Councilwoman Robin Wonsley.
“Some of you know, I started out by term actually pregnant and experienced a miscarriage shortly after,” an emotional Wonsley explained. “Actually next week was supposed to be my due date. And I remember when I just started the term, knowing that I was pregnant and meeting with our HR rep and asking about this is my first year, how am I going to make time? What is the policy around leave? And basically being told there was not one and the anxiety I faced about not being able to balance this new job, this new work that I love, with also starting a family. It very anxiety inducing.”
Wonsley says she hopes this new policy will help alleviate that anxiety for other city employees.
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