Pittsburgh City Councilor Bobby Wilson will introduce legislation on Tuesday to grant paid bereavement leave for city employees who experience pregnancy loss directly, or through a partner or surrogate.
Wilson said that Pittsburgh would be the first government in the U.S. to offer the leave.
"I believe the city of Pittsburgh can establish and be a model of a compassionate workplace," Wilson said. "To include this would be very important for working families."
The bill would allow up to three days of paid leave without an employee having to use vacation or sick time. It would cover miscarriage, stillbirth, termination, failed in vitro fertilization procedures, or surrogacy loss. (In cases where a pregnancy must be terminated, time off for the procedure itself would be provided under medical leave.)
"We're one of the largest employers in Western Pennsylvania, and miscarriages happen in one of five pregnancies," Wilson said. "It affects people physically, mentally and we want to provide this time that they may need."
The bill would provide the benefit for the city's non-union employees, but Wilson said the legislation allows union contracts to include the benefits as well.
