City Hall has offered non-union companies paid family and extended parental leave, retroactive raises, a $3,000 incentive, and a hiring moratorium in an effort to retain employees.
Mayor Adams argued that the city’s administration should continue assisting the average working-class family by implementing policies such as paid and expanded parental leave. These reforms will help the city attract and retain talented workers essential to its continued success.
These workers, disproportionately located in managerial positions, will be eligible for a maximum of twelve weeks of paid leave to attend to a sick family member, and the amount of paid leave for new parents will be increased from six weeks to twelve.
Collective bargaining ensures paid family and parental leave for the bulk of the city’s 300,000+ employees.
More than 10,000 city workers will be affected by the higher salary and perks.
A total of $3,000 will be paid to non-union staff, and a 15.25 percent salary rise will spread over five years. Salary hikes of 3% every May beginning in 2021 and continuing annually through 2025 are part of the deal. Additionally, agency directors have the authority to follow the pattern established via collective bargaining for unionized personnel by providing extra pay increases to employees, up to 1.43% of the management pay budget. Since Adams took office in 2022, 93% of the city’s employees have signed labor contracts.
According to Kate Smart, a spokesman for City Hall, reserve funds will entirely cover the budget for the hikes, but it will cost $2.1 billion until fiscal year 2028.
After Adams signs the order, the new parental leave policy will be immediately implemented, costing the city $2.5 million a year.
Starting in around 90 days, employees will see a drop of approximately $13 per paycheck toward family leave.
Thousands of workers have left the city, taking higher-paying desk positions and the opportunity for more telecommuting and other benefits.