(TNS) — State government employees are now eligible for two additional weeks of paid parental leave as well as expanded services for assistance in improving work-life balance and mental health concerns.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Office of Administration on Thursday announced these changes that take effect immediately for employees who work under the governor’s jurisdiction. They are intended to enhance benefits for employees as well as aid in the commonwealth’s efforts in job recruitment.

The new policy gives eligible employees up to eight weeks of paid parental leave within six months following the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Employees become eligible after one year of employment and this leave can be taken by either parent and count toward their Family and Medical Leave benefit.

This is an expansion from six weeks of paid parental leave that former Gov. Tom Wolf implemented in 2020 and is in addition to an employee’s annual and sick leave entitlements.

“As the proud father of four kids, I know those first moments spent together with loved ones are special and among the most important times in a family’s life – and I believe that no parent should have to choose between spending that precious time bonding with their family or receiving a paycheck,” Shapiro said in a statement announcing the new policy.

Administration spokesman Dan Egan was unable to immediately provide an estimated cost for this additional paid leave.

Auditor General Timothy DeFoor’s spokeswoman April Hutcheson said the auditor general’s office will follow the governor’s lead and expand its paid parental leave policy to eight weeks.

Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s spokesman Erik Arneson said to date, this issue hasn’t been raised in the regular discussions she and her team have with AFSCME. “However, we would welcome a meeting with AFSCME to discuss expanding parental leave,” he said.

An attempt to determine if the expanded paid parental leave policy would be adopted by the attorney general’s office was not immediately successful.

According to data cited by the administration from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, offering paid parental leave leads to lower turnover and higher productivity and morale and benefits the child and parent and family relationship. The federal government provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave following the birth or placement of a child.

“There are approximately 1,900 births, adoptions, and foster care placements among commonwealth employees’ families every year,” said Office of Administration Secretary Neil Weaver. “Paid parental leave not only provides financial security and healthier outcomes during a joyful time in our workers’ lives, but also bolsters the commonwealth’s hiring, recruitment, and retention efforts as we strive to be one of the top employers in the nation.”

Legislation aimed at providing paid family and medical leave for all employees, public and private, has been introduced in the General Assembly again this legislative session but has yet to gain traction. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 16 states and Washington, D.C. require paid family and medical leave for all employees.

Additionally, the Shapiro administration announced it was expanding targeted support services to help workers find local resources for a variety of needs ranging from child or elder care and home or vehicle repairs, to pet needs, education and career support, managing health conditions, and more.

“We want to provide our dedicated commonwealth employees with the resources and support they need at home so they can do their best work on the job to serve the good people of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said.

Dave Henderson, executive director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13 which represents the bulk of state government employees, praised the administration’s decision to make these changes.

“It’s refreshing to be dealing with an administration that is concerned about their workforce and looking at ways to expand care and coverage that in today’s society people find themselves having to deal with,” he said. “We appreciate their efforts in addressing this and quite frankly, we believe the members that need these services will benefit from this as well.”

Even Nate Benefield from the conservative-leaning Commonwealth Foundation indicates he has no qualms with this expansion of paid parental leave benefits that the administration is offering employees.

Contrary to other benefits that state employees receive that exceed those provided by private businesses, he said this one “is in line with what much of the private sector is offering – in fact, Commonwealth Foundation offers 12 weeks paid family leave to our employees.”