Employers with workers in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, have a significant new expense to plan for: 12 weeks of employer-funded paid parental leave for eligible employees. The county has also expanded paid sick leave, requiring more employers to provide it and increasing the amount employees can earn.

The legislation was signed on October 22, 2026. Its implementation schedule gives employers approximately a year to prepare, with the requirements expected to become operative around October 2027. Employers should monitor the county’s implementation notices for the confirmed compliance date.

The Employer Pays for Parental Leave

Covered employers must provide eligible employees with 12 weeks of parental leave at their base rate of pay, subject to a weekly maximum of $4,200, and continue employee benefits. Employers may purchase private insurance to meet their obligations. However, if the insurance payment falls short of the required amount, the employer must cover the difference.

Paid parental leave is separate from, and in addition to, the county’s paid sick leave requirements.

Which Employers and Employees Are Covered?

The parental leave requirement generally applies to employers doing business in Allegheny County with at least 15 employees. Employees outside the county count toward that threshold, so employers should not look only at their local headcount. To qualify, an employee generally must have:

• Been employed for at least 180 days.
• Worked at least 80 hours in Allegheny County during the year.
• For part-time employees, worked at least 625 hours during the 180-day period.

Certain temporary and seasonal workers, along with some construction workers covered by qualifying union agreements, appear to be excluded. Employers should review those exclusions before deciding that a particular worker is ineligible.

When Can Employees Take Leave?

Leave is available following a child’s birth, adoption, or qualifying placement. It is also available following a stillbirth or fetal death.

Employees must use the leave within 12 months of the qualifying event. For part-time employees, weekly leave hours are based on their average weekly hours worked during the six months before the benefits request.

Where applicable, this leave runs at the same time as federal Family and Medical Leave Act leave. However, an employee may qualify for the county benefit before becoming eligible for FMLA. Employers cannot deny the county benefit simply because the employee has not worked long enough to qualify for FMLA.

Also, spouses or domestic partners working for the same employer must each receive their full entitlement. Employers cannot require them to share one 12-week allowance.

HR Will Need a Process for Reviewing Requests

Employees who know about the need for leave at least 30 days in advance must generally provide 30 days’ written notice. When the need is unexpected, notice is required as soon as practicable.  Employers may request supporting documentation, such as birth records, adoption or placement documents, or a health care provider’s confirmation.

Once the employer receives the claim and all necessary documentation, it has 10 business days to determine eligibility and provide written notice of the employee’s eligibility and leave entitlement.

Employers must also provide notice of the law’s requirements at hire and annually thereafter, and submit annual compliance certifications to the county Health Department. These obligations should be assigned to a specific person and added to the HR compliance calendar.

Employees Have the Right to Return to Their Jobs

After leave, employees must return to their former position or an equivalent position with equivalent seniority, status, benefits, pay, and other employment terms. Managers should understand this requirement before arranging coverage. Hiring someone to cover the absence does not eliminate the returning employee’s rights. Certain violations can result in penalties of $100 per day, per violation. Employees may also bring civil actions and recover reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs if they prevail.

Paid Sick Leave Is Expanding, Too

The amendments increase sick leave amounts and extend paid sick leave obligations to smaller employers.

Currently, the county generally requires employers with at least 26 employees to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 35 hours worked, up to 40 hours annually. The changes therefore affect both employers already providing county-required sick leave and smaller businesses becoming covered for the first time.

The expanded amounts align with Pittsburgh’s amended paid sick leave requirements. Employers with Pittsburgh employees should separately confirm their existing city obligations rather than wait for the county’s implementation deadline.

What Should Employers Do Now?

Start with the budget. Estimate parental leave payments, benefit continuation, and replacement staffing costs. If insurance is an option, review what the policy would actually pay and what the employer would still owe.

Then review leave policies, employee notices, and payroll settings. Sick leave accrual rates and annual limits will need updating, while parental leave will require a process for reviewing documentation, issuing timely decisions, maintaining benefits, and restoring employees to their jobs.

Employers that frontload sick leave should also plan how to handle the change during their established leave year.  

There is time to prepare, but these changes involve more than updating a handbook. HR, payroll, finance, and managers will each have responsibilities. Assigning those responsibilities now will make implementation considerably easier.