DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Dayton Municipal Court has expanded their paid parental leave for employees to 12 weeks.
“Family comes first,” Marty Gehres, Dayton Municipal Clerk of Court, said at a press conference on Thursday. “That is why I am proud to offer my employees a newly expanded generous leave package that will help care for new additions to their family.”
The Dayton Municipal Court has offered paid parental leave since 2015. Thursday’s announcement streamlines the process by abolishing the two-week waiting period required under the previous policy, providing full paid time off for the first six weeks and an additional six weeks of leave paid at 50 percent which, can be supplemented with the employee’s sick, vacation, or personal leave to reach 100 percent of the employee’s pay.
Clerk Gehres said he hopes this new policy will help attract a new generation of people to join his office for a career in public service, and he encourages other elected and organization leaders in Dayton to do the same.
“I believe all elected leaders and our business community can do better for working families and their children. If more leaders adopt similar policies, we can make Dayton a region that attracts young talent and helps families thrive,” he said. “Together, we can make Dayton the most family-friendly city in Ohio.”
Clerk Gehres is not eligible to benefit from this new policy personally, but he and his wife are expecting their first child soon. He plans to lead by example and take some time to be with his newly expanded family.
“As an expectant father, I will be clearing my schedule for two weeks upon the birth of my child. After that, I will be available to my staff in the office as needed. It is important to me to break the stigma surrounding expectant fathers,” he said.
“I want to develop a strong bond with my child and support my wife during this exciting time in our lives.”
