On October 20, 2026, the Allegheny County Council passed Paid Parental Leave legislation, which was signed into law on October 22, 2026. Allegheny County is the first county-level government in the country to adopt such a requirement, expanding existing paid sick leave requirements and adding paid parental leave.
The implementing Regulation takes effect no fewer than 180 days after passage (April 2027). Employers must come into compliance within 180 days of the effective date (October 2027). Exact dates are subject to confirmation by the County.
Paid Parental Leave
The Regulation requires any entity situated or doing business in the County that employs 15 or more persons to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave at their base rate of pay and with their existing benefits, subject to a $4,200 maximum weekly parental leave benefit. Employers bear 100% of the cost of the benefit. The Regulation does not reduce previously established employer-provided benefits, but paid parental leave must be separately designated, and a general paid time off policy alone does not satisfy the requirement.
Key Provisions for Employees
- Eligible Employees: An employee who performs at least 80 hours of work within the County per year and has been employed by a covered employer for at least 180 continuous days is eligible; part-time employees must work at least 625 hours during the 180-day period. The Regulation does not apply to independent contractors, state and federal employees, temporary employees, seasonal employees, or certain collectively bargained union members.
- Qualifying Events: Employees may request leave following a live birth, adoption, or legal permanent placement for adoption or foster care, during the first 12 months after a live birth, adoption, or placement. Leave is also available following a stillbirth.
- Employee Requests: Employees must give at least 30 days’ advance written notice when the need for leave is foreseeable, and notice as soon as practicable when it is not. Employees must support claims with documentation, along with a written schedule for the leave. Spouses and domestic partners (as defined in the Regulation) employed by the same employer are each eligible, even if their leaves overlap.
Key Highlights for Employers
- Notice and Certification: Employers must provide written notice at hire and annually, and acknowledge each leave request in writing. Beginning one year after the effective date, employers must file an annual compliance certification with the County.
- Job Protection: Upon expiration of a covered leave, employees must be restored to the same position or one with equivalent seniority, status, benefits, pay, and other terms of employment. During the leave, employers must maintain any established benefits as if employment had continued, and the employee continues to pay their share of benefit costs. Retaliation is prohibited and leave may not be counted as an absence that leads to retaliatory action.
- Coordination: Leave that also qualifies under FMLA runs concurrently with it. More generous laws, policies, and collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”) still apply, but later CBAs and policies may not reduce these rights, and employee waivers are void.
- Enforcement: Violations of the job protection, coordination, and notice provisions carry penalties of up to $100 per day, per violation. Employees may also bring a civil action in Pennsylvania court, with reasonable attorneys’ fees to be awarded to plaintiffs who prevail.
Paid Sick Leave Changes
The Regulation extends paid sick leave requirements to all employers, including those with fewer than 26 employees, who were previously exempt, and increases accrual requirements for employers that were already covered.
- Employers with 15 or more employees: Employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick time per 30 hours worked within the County, capped at 72 hours per calendar year. For employers with 26 or more employees, this increases the prior accrual rate of one hour per 35 hours worked and the prior 40-hour cap. Employers with 15 to 25 employees are newly covered.
Employers with fewer than 15 employees: Employees accrue at least one hour per 30 hours worked within the County, capped at 48 hours per year. Employers of this size were previously exempt.
Like paid parental leave, paid sick leave must be separately designated and employers may not satisfy paid sick leave through a general paid time off policy.
For more information about the Paid Parental Leave and Paid Sick Leave changes, see the Allegheny County Press Release and the Regulation.
