Across the country, many municipalities including cities of all sizes are facing tough economic times. Despite recent improvements in some local economies, city government officials are still trying to rebound from the tough times and revenue loss of recent years. Because of that, some may presume that they need to cut benefits for staff members in order to save cash. However, there are some benefits for staff members that actually serve as a wise investment for city governments. One of the most key benefits in that category is parental leave, giving both fathers and mothers parenting time to bond and take care of their children.
Fathers and mothers can use that leave to connect with a newborn baby daughter or son who has just come home from the hospital. Decades of research affirm that this early bonding establishes the foundation for good lifelong father-baby and mother-baby relationships. Leave can also be used for family time with an adopted child, regardless of whether that child is an infant or an older child. Another use for the leave is taking care of a sick son or daughter, making sure that their medical needs are fully addressed.
Fathers and mothers are very well aware of the importance of being able to take leave for those reasons. Doing so lets them take care of their highest priority — their family. When they know they can do that, they are much more likely to be committed to their jobs. Correspondingly, they will have more loyalty to their employer and work harder. Additionally, they will be happy to continue working for their employer, reducing turnover rates and correspondingly reducing the costs associated with hiring and training replacement staff members. Parental leave is good for parents and for cities employing them. Qualified attorneys can advise parents pursuing leave.
Source: Tampa Bay Timjes, “Editorial: St. Petersburg’s paid parental leave is smart investment” Dec. 19, 2014
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