New paid parental leave rules are approved for most NC teachers. Here’s what to know.
North Carolina public school employees will get up to two months of paid parental leave after having a new child, thanks to new rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
The state’s new law limiting abortions also included a paid parental leave option for state employees, including those who work in public schools, the UNC System and community colleges.
Employees are entitled to up to eight weeks of paid parental leave after a baby is born and up to four weeks after adopting a child or becoming a foster parent.
The new temporary rules still need to be reviewed by the State Rules Review Commission. But the state law went into effect July 1.
“Districts will still have to comply with this whether there’s a rule in place or not because it’s the law,” said Allison Schafer, general counsel to the state board.
Expanded leave eligibility
When the State Board reviewed the draft rules last month, members were told the leave would only cover children born after July 1. Under that interpretation, parents wouldn’t be entitled to the leave if their newly adopted child or foster child was born before.
But Schafer said that the State Personnel Commission is interpreting the paid leave to also cover adoptions and placement of foster children after July 1 regardless of when the child was born.
Part-time workers will also be eligible for parental leave. The amount they get will be based on a pro-rated share of the hours they work compared to full-time employees.
A follow-up bill adopted by lawmakers allows charter schools to not offer the parental leave. But unless they opt in, charter schools won’t be eligible for any of the $10 million the state is providing to schools to hire substitute teachers.
The state board is required to adopt rules that are substantially similar to what will be adopted for state employees by the state Human Resources Commission.
Some teachers not eligible for leave
One sticking point for the new leave coverage is that school employees must work for the same school district for at least 12 months before they’re eligible. This has drawn complaints from some teachers who will not be immediately eligible because they relocated to work in a new district this school year.
Tom Tomberlin, senior director of the state Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Education Preparation and Teacher Licensure, said their hands are tied on the matter.
“This will be particular point of contention at this time of year as teachers are transferring between districts,” Tomberlin told the board. “Each (public school unit) is a separate employer for meeting the 12 month employment requirement.
“Many of your constituents may raise concerns with you, but that is the way we have to interpret the law.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2023 at 1:12 PM with the headline "New paid parental leave rules are approved for most NC teachers. Here’s what to know.."
