Res 1029-2016

By Council Member Eugene Whereas, On January 7, 2016, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an order to provide paid parental leave to New York City employees who hold non-union or managerial titles; and Whereas, The new order provides six weeks of paid leave at 100 percent of salary, and will benefit up to 20,000 employees; and Whereas, Mayor de Blasio's order has been praised as a major step in bringing New York City in line with other jurisdictions in the United States and abroad; and Whereas, However, the Mayor's order does not include employees who do not have children; and Whereas, According to the 2015 National Vital Statistics Report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fertility rates in the United States have been decreasing in recent years, both among married couples and unmarried women; and Whereas, According to labor force experts all employees, including those without children, can benefit from programs similar to paid parental leave; and Whereas, According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, companies in the financial services sector are offering a variety of opportunities to their employees to take time off from work to pursue outside work opportunities, such as working for a non-profit; and Whereas, Extending paid leave to employees without children will allow all New York City employees to more equally share in the benefits of the new program; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls New York City to allow city employees without children to take one-time paid six-week leave similar to Paid Parental Leave. LS# 7599 03/17/2016 GZ