PIERRE – A bill that would expand various types of leave for state employees was approved unanimously Friday by the Senate State Affairs Committee.
SB186 would drop the requirement that state employees be in the employ of the state for at least six months before they can use any vacation time.
“That’s just not realistic,” said Mallori Barnett of the Bureau of Human Resources. “Life just doesn’t stop when you take a new job with the state.”
Another provision of the bill would add family leave when an employee has a birth in the family or adopts a child. Currently when state employees want to take time off after a birth or adoption they must use sick leave, vacation time or unpaid leave.
Adopting the change, Barnett said, would increase morale and help the state with recruitment and retention of employees. If the bill is enacted into law, the bureau will adopt rules that say an employee would be eligible for 24 hours per week of family leave for up to eight weeks.
Barnett explained that the policy would give employees the equivalent of three days off per week. They could fill in the other days with other types of leave.
The bureau has budgeted for the changes, Barnett said, though the extra costs would likely be found in a loss of productivity and some extra duty or overtime pay when an employee is taking advantage of the expanded leave.
The bill was approved on a vote of 8-0 and now goes to the Senate floor.
