MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County employees are one step closer to having paid parental leave after members of a Shelby County Commission committee approved the proposal Wednesday.
Mayor Lee Harris’ proposal for six-week paid parental leave for all county employees is gaining momentum among county leaders.
However, with an average annual cost of $830,000, some local leaders say this may put on a stress on an already tight budget.
“We’ve got obviously many, many, many more needs,” District 13 Commissioner Brandon Morrison said. “Prioritizing is going to be really difficult.”
During the meeting, several committee members voted to approve the measure, and some even chose to co-sponsor it.
“At the end of the day, people make the difference and the more we can invest in better people, the better the government can function,” District 5 Commissioner Michael Whaley said.
The plan would allow mothers and fathers six weeks of paid parental leave the first year of having a baby or adopting a child.
Harris says the goal is to allow both mothers and fathers the opportunity to bond with their child without having to worry about financial hardship.
“A lot of employees, particularly lower-income employees, worry about getting back to work,” he said.
Harris’ office says the average salary of employees who took leave for fiscal year 2019 was a little more than $50,000.
The average cost of six weeks’ leave based on salary is roughly $6,000.
Harris says, if passed, the policy will be financed through increased sales tax revenue.
“We’ve been really conservative in our approach as to costs around this program, but we think we’ll be able to finance this program and more importantly support families,” Harris said.
With the committee’s approval, the policy is now on its way to the Board of Commissioners for a full and final vote.
