Denton has approved paid parental leave for city employees in a move that followed other North Texas cities such as Dallas and Fort Worth, reported Axios.
The benefit includes six weeks of paid leave and comes as the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) reports that Texas had the highest infant mortality in the country in 2020 at 1,946.
Denton previously considered providing parental leave for its city employees in 2015, 2017, and 2019, but the policy failed to pass each time.
Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth said the city implemented the change in order for Denton to become more competitive in the job market.
“It’s the price of doing business,” Hudspeth said.
Universal paid family leave was on the table last year in President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan. However, the deal quickly fell apart.
Currently, the Family and Medical Leave Act does ensure medical and family leave as an option for employees, but it is not paid. Employers can also deduct from paid days off to make up the difference.
The Better Life Lab, an organization that conducts research on equity in the workplace, recommends at least 26 weeks of paid parental leave and maintains that 40 weeks would lead to a greater reduction in infant mortality.
Opponents of paid family leave claim that having paid time off from work could impact employees’ attachment to their job. It is also believed to cost a substantial amount to employers and could potentially lead to discrimination against women, who are more likely to use it.
Autumn Natalie, who had three children while working for the city of Denton, told KERA news that having children makes work-life balance very difficult.
“I found myself making room and making space in my heart and my life, realizing that I was fulfilled by being a mom — and also my career! I wanted to keep both of those things,” Natalie said. Natalie explained that she needed to take a lot of vacation, sick time, and unpaid days off whenever she had a child.
Natalie said she is thrilled Denton is now offering paid parental leave.
Stuart Birdseye, who raised two children while working for the city of Denton, stressed the importance of a parent being with his child during those first few months.
“You can’t get that first period of time with a child back ever,” Birdseye said. “So, to know that you’re able to have that time to bond with them is outstanding.”
The funding for paid leave will come from Denton’s general budget.
