Lawmakers are currently considering a bill that may allow state employees to take 12 weeks of paid family leave in South Carolina. The bill is meant to allow state employees to spend time with their family without having to quit their job or incur penalties.
The bill will specifically allow mothers and fathers to go on a family leave after a child is born or when they adopt a new child. The leave will enable the parents to bond with their children without having to worry about their duties.
If passed, the bill can be a huge relief for South Carolina employees who are parents. The status quo is that state employees have no family leave option. As a result, when they must go on a leave for the sake of family, they must utilize the holidays they have gathered up over the course of their employment.
The present bill that is being considered by the state legislature builds up on the initiative which was originally undertaken by the South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. Governor McMaster launched the initiative with support from the Democratic lawmakers, S.C. Senator Darrell Jackson and S.C. Representative Beth Bernstein.
Together, the trio brought forth two bills both of which deal with policies on paid family leave in South Carolina. With these bills, Governor McMaster aimed to match the federal family leave policy which had been introduced by President Donald Trump.
The bills will be considered at an upcoming session of the S.C. legislature. The bills were introduced last March and have been pending for a long period. They could not be tabled after the session was terminated due to the COVID-19 situation. However, now that the session is resuming, it is likely that the bills will be passed without much delay with bipartisan support.
For more information, contact a South Carolina family lawyer.
Source: https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article247835400.html
