Bulletin 21-01 - Paid Parental Leave for State of Kansas Employees
Posted on October 21, 2021 at 12:51 PM by Kansas Department of Administration
1.0 | SUBJECT: Paid Parental Leave for State of Kansas Employees | |
2.0 | EFFECTIVE DATE: July 6, 2021 | |
3.0 | DISTRIBUTION: State of Kansas HR Directors & Managers | |
4.0 | FROM: Kraig Knowlton, Director of Personnel Services | |
5.0 | PURPOSE: Today, Governor Kelly issued Executive Order 21-24 updating and expanding the policy | |
6.0 | PROCEDURES: | |
6.1 | All benefits-eligible State of Kansas employees in agencies, departments or other entities under a) Employees who are hired or rehired on or after July 6, 2021 must be employed for a period of | |
| 6.2 | Every parent who is designated as the primary caregiver shall receive eight weeks of paid parental leave and every parent who is designated as the secondary caregiver shall receive four weeks of parental leave. a) If both parents are State of Kansas employees eligible for paid parental leave in accordance with the policy, one employee must be designated the primary caregiver and one employee must be designated the secondary caregiver. b) In such instances, both parents may utilize paid parental leave concurrently, consecutively, or at different times, in accordance with the provisions of this Bulletin. c) For employees that assume placement of a foster child(ren), the ability to use Parental Leave will be limited to a total of eight weeks per calendar year. Such leave can be used for a single placement or for multiple placements. | |
| 6.3 | Paid parental leave authorized under this policy covers 100% of an eligible employee’s regular rate of pay and while using such leave, employees continue to accrue vacation and sick leave in accordance with applicable rules, regulations and statutes. | |
| 6.4 | Official and observed holidays for Executive Branch State of Kansas employees do not count against paid parental leave. Employees utilizing paid parental leave on an official or observed holiday shall receive holiday credit pursuant to K.A.R. 1-9-2. | |
| 6.5 | Paid parental leave may be taken beginning up to thirty (30) days prior to the projected date of birth, or adoption of a child or the placement of a foster child(ren) or within the 12 weeks immediately following the birth or adoption of a child or placement of a foster child(ren). a) Paid parental leave shall run concurrently with the 12-week period covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if the employee is so eligible. | |
| 6.6 | Paid parental leave cannot be donated through the State of Kansas Shared Leave program or in any other way, and any amount of leave not utilized by the eligible employee after the birth, adoption or foster placement shall be forfeited. | |
| 7.0 | SHARP TIME AND LABOR PROCEDURES | |
| 7.1 | Use the following earning codes to enter paid parental leave into the SHARP system: a) PLV – Leave-Paid Parental – for non-FMLA eligible circumstances b) FMPLV – Leave-FMLA Paid Parental – for FMLA eligible circumstances | |
| 7.2 | Both types of leave should be entered in .25-hour increments. | |
| 7.3 | These earning codes are set up like the Donor Leave, Funeral Leave and Relief from Duty earning codes, so there is no SHARP leave balance associated with paid parental leave. | |
| 7.4 | Agencies are responsible for tracking the usage of paid parental leave in order to adhere to the maximums established for both primary and secondary caregivers. | |
8.0 | REFERENCES: Bulletin 09-03, Executive Order 21-24, K.A.R. 1-9-2 | |
9.0 | CONTACT PERSON: For SHARP Questions: | |
