that is actually impressive - kudos Arlington county!

thanks for the info pp!

11:13 again. This is C&P from the HR Regs.

Under the FMLA section (7):
6.2 Paid Parental Leave
6.2.1 An employee using FML for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child will receive two weeks of paid Parental Leave.
6.2.2 Paid Parental Leave is included within, not in addition to, the period of FML.
6.2.3 Paid Parental Leave must be used in full work day increments.
6.2.4 An employee must request Paid Parental Leave from the supervisor in advance and it must be used within the period of FML.

§ 7 New Parent Leave
7.1 General Policies
7.1.1 An employee who is not eligible for FML for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of New Parent Leave.
7.1.2 Generally, the only new parent employee eligible for New Parent Leave is one who:
a. has worked less than 1,250 hours for the County in the previous 12-month period; or
b. has used 12 weeks of FML in the previous 12-month period.
7.1.3 If an employee becomes eligible for FML while on New Parent Leave, New Parent Leave will cease and the employee will be placed on FML.

Non-FML New Parent Leave:
7.2 Using New Parent Leave
7.2.1 New Parent Leave begins upon the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child and must be taken on a continuous basis up to the 12-week maximum unless the employee chooses to end the leave sooner.
a. For the adoption or placement of a foster child, New Parent Leave may be taken if absence from work is required for the adoption or foster care placement to proceed. This includes counseling sessions, court appearances, consultation with attorneys and physicians, and travel time to receive the child.
7.2.2 An employee may use any combination of Sick Leave, Vacation, Compensatory Leave or Leave without Pay while on New Parent Leave. Sick Leave may be taken throughout the period of New Parent Leave.
7.2.3 An employee is entitled to Health, Dental and Life insurance benefits while on New Parent Leave under the same terms as if the employee had continued to work. Arrangements will be made for the employee to continue to pay his or her share of insurance premiums while on leave.
7.2.4 An employee must request New Parent Leave to his or her supervisor in advance when possible. The supervisor may require proof of eligibility before approving the request.

Also, your coworkers can donate sick leave to you while you are on maternity leave. This was approved about 2 years ago.

If you've been at the county for at least 1 year, Arlington follows FMLA (12 weeks). You get 2 weeks of that paid under "Parental Leave". The remaining 10 weeks can be taken as LWOP, Sick or Vacation leave (in any combination) that you have accrued. You still earn leave while you are out (4 hrs SL;4-8 hrs VL per pay period).

If you haven't been at the county for a year, and therefore not covered by FMLA, the county has its own Parental Leave policy that allows you to still take up to 12 weeks off.

My guess is it is just FMLA since I highly doubt the county can afford to pay people for their leave in that way. But they may supplement FMLA with additional unpaid time off allowed.

I worked for the City of New York and their Mat Leave policy was FMLA plus you could stay out as long as 3 years (no pay, no health benefits after the FMLA 3 month period), though you wouldn't be promised your job just an "equivalent" job whatever that really means, depending on the burden your absence would cause the Bureau you work in. Most Bureaus accommodated 1 year of absence that I knew of. That was in a specific agency too, might depend on which county agency you are at.

Are you job hunting and considering maternity leave policy because you are pregnant or soon hope to be? I only ask because keep in mind that many companies, governments included, will only apply FMLA/mat leave policies for employees that have worked a certain number of hours there (I think 1250 or something?).

if Arlington county and Arlington public schools follow the same policy then I think it is just FMLA - 12 weeks unpaid, can use vacation/sick time.

website says "Leave -An Arlington employee has access to the following types of leave: Vacation, Sick, Holiday, Parental and Newborn, Family Medical, Military, Education, Civil and Jury Duty, and Disability"....

soo... what does "Parent and Newborn leave" mean exactly?

Husband does look on their website.

if so, do they have a maternity leave policy or is it just the standard FLMA 12 weeks with no pay?