Governor Mike Braun signs executive order to strengthen parental leave & childbirth recovery leave for state employees

Submitted by Office of the Governor

On Monday, ahead of International Women’s Day this Saturday, Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order to strengthen paid parental leave for state employees.

The executive order also provides paid childbirth leave for women recovering from giving birth, as well as paid leave for those grieving from the tragedy of losing a baby.

“Strong families are the cornerstone of strong communities, and it’s so important for a family to have quality time to care for their newest member,” Gov. Braun said. “I believe employers should do everything they can to accommodate the needs of new parents, and today I’m setting an example by strengthening our state’s policies for paid parental leave (including adoption), childbirth recovery leave, and paid leave for those facing the tragedy of losing a baby. These new paid parental leave policies will benefit women recovering from childbirth, their spouses, and the newborns whose health and development will be improved by more time with their parents in those first critical weeks. Indiana supports strong families!”

Under this new executive order:

• All employed women who give birth are eligible for six weeks paid childbirth recovery leave, and up to eight weeks paid childbirth leave for employees who deliver via C-section. This leave policy also applies to employees who experience the tragedy of losing a baby in utero at 20 weeks or beyond.
• All full-time state employees may receive up to 150 hours of paid parental leave (75 hours for part-time employees) following the birth or adoption of a child regardless of how long one has been employed with the state.
• Replacing previous policy, Gov. Braun’s parental leave policies will now apply no matter how long the employee has worked for the state. If an employee who has worked for the state fewer than six months takes parental/childbirth/or stillbirth leave, the employee must agree to complete at least one year of consecutive employment following his or her return to work as a condition for taking leave.

Indiana Right to Life issues statement on executive order

Submitted

Indiana Right to Life President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Fichter issued the following statement Monday regarding the governor’s executive order.

“Indiana is exemplifying a culture of life. Governor Braun’s executive order today affirms that the Hoosier culture prioritizes families, parents and children. These enhanced benefits for state employees is [sic] a significant step in Indiana being an example in compassionate support for pregnant mothers and their babies, including those suffering the loss of a baby’s life before birth. This is an important addition to Indiana’s larger effort to give pregnant mothers and their babies the support they need to thrive. We encourage all Hoosier employers to follow the state’s lead in providing greater support for moms and babies.”