Mayor Johnson calls on committee to explore paid parental leave policy for City employees
DALLAS — Mayor Eric Johnson has asked the Government Performance & Financial Management Committee to explore whether the City can offer paid parental leave to its employees.
Mayor Johnson made the request in a memo Tuesday to the Committee’s chairwoman, City Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn. Currently, the City relies on other forms of leave, such as sick time and vacation time, as a means to provide employees with paid time off to care for their newborn children.
With the birth of his daughter Lela Reece, Mayor Johnson recently became the first mayor in Dallas history to have a child born while in office, according to City archivist John Slate.
“This wonderful occasion is truly a blessing, and I am overjoyed by the birth of our third child,” Mayor Johnson wrote in his memo. “But the experience of becoming new parents again has also served as yet another reminder of the difficulties faced by working parents in our city.”
A City paid parental leave policy would not apply to elected officials such as Mayor Johnson. That would require a change to the City Charter, which penalizes city councilmembers and the mayor if they fail to attend at least 90% of the regularly scheduled meetings during the term. Chapter III of the Charter does not excuse members for the birth of a child, health issues, or other family reasons, allowing excused absences only if the mayor or city councilmember is “on the official business of the city council and at the direction of the city council.”
Mayor Johnson said he hopes the Committee will consider the costs and viability of offering paid paternal leave for City employees before the full City Council, which is on recess in July, passes the next fiscal year budget in September.
“Dallas should strive to be a top city for families, and I believe paid parental leave could contribute to a stronger work environment and set an excellent example for our residents and other employers,” Mayor Johnson said.
