Marengo looks at maternity policy

MARENGO — With one employee and the wife of another expecting babies, the City of Marengo discussed its maternity leave policy.

City Administrator Karla Marck said the council has only a maternity policy at this time. It “applies to a pregnant individual.”

As an equal opportunity employer, the city might want to add a policy for fathers as well, Marck said.

If the city adds paternity leave, that leave has to be the same as maternity leave in order to be equal for men and women, said Marck.

However, parental leave, which would apply to male and female parents, could be different from maternity leave, which applies to someone who will give birth.

The current policy allows 90 days maternity leave, Marck said.

Councilman Travis Schlabach asked if Marck was suggesting the city pay for the 90 days off.

Marck said she wasn’t making a suggestion. “I’m trying to get everyone’s feel for this.”

Mayor Adam Rabe, who works for Iowa County, said that men employed by the county take sick leave if they want to take time off after a child is born.

Employees have to use their sick days, which are paid, and then they can use family medical leave, which is unpaid, or use paid vacation days. FMLA is unpaid and lasts only 12 weeks.

Can’t the man use sick days now? Schlabach asked.

Marck said the city’s policy allows only three sick days in a row, and then the employee has to provide a medical excuse. A man couldn’t use sick days for parental leave as the policy stands now, but he could use accumulated vacation time.

Councilman John Hinshaw suggested the city add parental leave to the current policy.

“I think we all agree we don’t care if a father takes time off,” said Rabe.

Bill Kreis said he’d like to see what other municipalities have done.

“All we’re doing is opening up sick leave for things other than being sick,” said Schlabach. He said he’d like to see how other towns and counties of like size handle it. “Not Cedar Rapids or Iowa City.”

Public Works Director Lonnie Altenhofen said the city changed the policy a few years ago so that employees can take sick days to care for family members that are sick. They can use that to go to prenatal appointments.

The city’s policy doesn’t match federal FMLA, said Police Chief Ben Gray. Right now a mom can take 90 work days off, or 18 weeks.

Gray is concerned about losing employees for 90 days. “We don’t have a choice with 12-week [FMLA],” he said. It’s federal law.

But the city could change its maternity policy to match FMLA and create a paternity option.

Rabe said city policy should match FMLA. He thought it did. he said. Ninety days is 12 weeks, but city policy says 90 work days.

“I don’t know how departments function with someone gone that long,” Rabe said.

Rabe suggested city policy match FMLA time. “It’s cleaner that way,” said Gray.

An employee could ask for additional time off in the form of paid vacation, said Councilman John Hinshaw. Department heads would have the option to deny the vacation request.

“How long do we do this? How long do we keep them on the books?” asked Gray. Work needs to be done, and department heads need employees to do those jobs.

The council agreed to pursue a policy allowing 12 weeks of parental leave. Only the portion using sick days or vacation days would be paid.