Section 124.136 - Parental leave and benefits(A) As used in this section:(1) "Fetal death" has the same meaning as in section 3705.01 of the Revised Code.(2) "Stillborn" means that an infant of at least twenty weeks of gestation suffered a fetal death.(B)(1) Each permanent full-time and permanent part-time employee paid in accordance with section 124.152 of the Revised Code and each employee listed in division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of section 124.14 of the Revised Code who works thirty or more hours per week, and who meets the requirement of division (B)(2)(a) of this section is eligible, upon the birth, stillbirth, or adoption of a child, for a parental leave of absence and parental leave benefits under this section. If the employee takes leave under this section for a stillbirth, the employee is ineligible for leave under section 124.387 of the Revised Code.(2)(a) To be eligible for leave and benefits under this section, an employee must be one of the following:(i) A parent, as listed on the birth certificate, of a newly born child;(ii) A parent, as listed on the fetal death certificate, of a stillborn child;(iii) A legal guardian of a newly adopted child who resides in the same household as that child.(b) Employees may elect to receive five thousand dollars for adoption expenses in lieu of receiving the paid leave benefit provided under this section. Such payment may be requested upon placement of the child in the employee's home. If the child is already residing in the home, payment may be requested at the time the adoption is approved.(3) The average number of regular hours worked, which shall include all hours of holiday pay and other types of paid leave, during the three-month period immediately preceding the day parental leave of absence begins shall be used to determine eligibility and benefits under this section for part-time employees, but such benefits shall not exceed forty hours per week. If an employee has not worked for a three-month period, the number of hours for which the employee has been scheduled to work per week during the employee's period of employment shall be used to determine eligibility and benefits under this section.(C) Parental leave granted under this section shall not exceed twelve consecutive weeks, which shall include four hundred eighty hours of paid leave for permanent full-time employees and a prorated number of hours of paid leave for permanent part-time employees. Parental leave shall be taken within one year of the birth of the child, delivery of the stillborn child, or placement of the child for adoption. During the leave period, employees shall receive paid leave equal to seventy per cent of their base rate of pay. All of the following apply to employees granted parental leave:(1) They remain eligible to receive all employer-paid benefits and continue to accrue all other forms of paid leave as if they were in active pay status.(2) They are ineligible to receive overtime pay, and no portion of their parental leave shall be included in calculating their overtime pay.(3) They are ineligible to receive holiday pay. A holiday occurring during the leave period shall be counted as one day of parental leave and be paid as such.(D) Employees receiving parental leave may utilize available sick leave, personal leave, vacation leave, or compensatory time balances in order to supplement the seventy per cent of their base rate of pay received during the parental leave period, in an amount sufficient to give them up to one hundred per cent of their pay for time on parental leave. Use of parental leave does not affect an employee's eligibility for other forms of paid leave granted under this chapter and does not prohibit an employee from taking leave under the "Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993," 107 Stat. 6, 29 U.S.C.A. 2601, except that parental leave shall be included in any leave time provided under that act. An employee may not receive parental leave under this section after exhausting leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 for the birth of the child, delivery of the stillborn child, or placement of the child for adoption.
(E) Employees receiving disability leave benefits under section 124.385 of the Revised Code prior to becoming eligible for parental leave shall continue to receive disability leave benefits for the duration of their disabling condition or as otherwise provided under the disability leave benefits program. If an employee is receiving disability leave benefits because of pregnancy and these benefits expire prior to the expiration date of any benefits the employee would have been entitled to receive under this section, the employee shall receive parental leave for such additional time .Amended by 135th General Assembly, HB 33,§101.01, eff. 10/3/2023.Amended by 134th General Assembly, HB 110,§101.01, eff. 9/30/2021.Amended by 132nd General Assembly, HB 292,§1, eff. 9/13/2018.Effective Date: 6/30/1997.