Recent legislation provides state employees six weeks of paid leave after giving birth and co-parents two weeks of paid leave, effective Oct. 1. Paid parental leave allows parents time to bond with their new child without having to use vacation and sick leave or to go unpaid.
The new legislation provides the state’s employees in full-time equivalent (FTE) positions 100 percent of their base pay for the birth of a child, adoption or a state placement of a foster child. In the event both parents are eligible, the parental leave can be taken concurrently, consecutively or at different times by each eligible employee.
The University will begin providing paid parental leave effective Oct. 1, 2022. The Office of Human Resources is working with the S.C. Division of State Human Resources (DSHR) to obtain additional guidance regarding this new benefit and will share additional information when it becomes available.