Memphis City Council members took the first step toward offering six months of paid family maternity leave to all city employees on Tuesday, May 26. A resolution providing the benefit moved forward with a favorable recommendation during the Personnel Committee meeting.

The resolution would grant all full-time city employees 100% of 240 hours of paid leave for qualifying events including births, adoptions, and foster placements. It replaces an earlier ordinance that would have codified the benefit in the city charter; that ordinance was withdrawn by a co-sponsor before the resolution was read into the record.

“We want to make sure, Councilwoman Green and I, that it’s real on paper and in policy. And that it has a less likelihood of being argued when we’re gone,” said co-sponsor Council Member Michalyn Easter-Thomas.

“Just as the county government now has it, the state government has it — we’ll get this through — the city government will have it,” said co-sponsor Council Member Jerri Green. “I think this is a really incredible policy. I think it’s going to be something really wonderful for our employees.” “I hope that private organizations around our city take our example and do the same, because it is so important for parents and for children,” Green added.

The item is scheduled for consideration at the next full council meeting on June 9. If it passes on a third and final vote, Memphis city employees would join counterparts in Nashville and Knoxville, which already offer paid family leave to municipal workers.