INDIANAPOLIS – New moms employed by the state of Indiana will now get an additional six weeks of paid leave for “childbirth recovery,” or eight weeks for employees who gave birth via a cesarean section.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order Monday making the change, signaling his openness to future actions in the private sector.
“Previously, many new mothers had to cobble together time off to recover from the physical toll of childbirth by combining maternity leave with six sick days, (paid time off) and reduced salary while on medical leave,” Braun said. “We’re changing that.”
The policy applies to full-time and part-time employees, plus staff who lose a child in utero at 20 weeks or more.
“Losing a baby unexpectedly is such a difficult thing to endure. I want to make sure that the state of Indiana gives them time off to recover,” Braun said.
Braun pegged the executive order signing to International Women’s Day on Saturday.
The move also expands the state’s current paid parental leave of four weeks for new parents who have been employed for six months. Braun struck the six-month requirement, though newer employees would get less time off and “must” agree to work for one full year following their return.
The leave policy applies to an employee who gave birth, an employee whose spouse gave birth, and parents who’ve adopted a child.
Read more of the Whitney Downard story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle and Local News Digital, here.
