On July 6, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued an executive order expanding parental leave for Kansas state employees. Primary caregivers will now receive an extra two weeks of leave, and secondary caregivers will receive one extra week. Importantly, Kansas’s parental leave for state employees is paid at 100% of the employee’s regular salary.
Kansas employees first received paid leave under former Gov. Jeff Colyer in Nov. 2018. Previously, primary caregivers received six weeks of leave, and secondary caregivers received three weeks. Now, primary caregivers will receive eight weeks of leave, and secondary caregivers will receive four weeks. Gov. Kelly’s new executive order also provides the same leave to new foster parents, who previously would not have qualified.
Paid parental leave applies to Kansas employees who have been employed for at least 180 days, regardless of classification, part-time/full-time status, or whether leave is for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. Employees may start leave up to 30 days prior to the projected due date in order to prepare for the new child. Additionally, employees must utilize all leave within the first 12 weeks of the birth, adoption, or foster placement.
The new executive order goes into effect immediately, though new state employees must still wait 180 days after the start of employment to become eligible for parental leave.
