Kentville disses baby benefits

BY JENNIFER HOEGG

Kings County Advertiser

Kentville won’t be topping up employees’ maternity leave benefits.

During the January 11 Council Advisory Council meeting, councillors rejected proposed changes to the town’s parental and maternity leave policy, recommended by staff.

The document, in its third draft, proposed a top-up of EI benefits for female employees who give birth, up to 100 per cent of normal pay for the first 15 weeks. Maternity benefits under EI cover 15 of the first 17 weeks of leave; parental leave benefits cover an additional 35 weeks and can be taken by mothers and fathers. Should the employee choose not to return to work after her leave, she would be required to repay the top-up payments made by the town. “This represents considerable pulling back from the past two versions of this policy, (and represents) limited cost, compared to the other scenarios,” chief administrative officer Keith Robicheau said.

The change would put the town’s approximately 50 full-time employees on equal footing with provincial employees for maternity leave benefits, he added, but would be “advanced compared to what other municipalities are offering.”

Robicheau said, although Kentville could not compete with federal civil service benefits, it is important to be an “employer of choice.”

Councillors Mark Pearl, Nola Folker-Hill, Bernie Cooper and Deputy Mayor Bill Boyd spoke against the policy change. “I believe the provincially mandated amount is fair and equitable,” Pearl said. “I will not be supporting this.”

Cooper agreed the town should stick to what labour codes require. “I can’t support the top-up,” Boyd said. “We’re following the law, and that’s all we have to do.”

Folker-Hill questioned why Kentville, under its current policy, continues to cost-share health and disability insurance plans with employees on maternity and parental leave and why employees taking either leave continue to accrue vacation and seniority. “Did you know the U.S. has no maternity leave whatsoever?” Folker-Hill said.

Mayor David Corkum joked the U.S. also has no public health care system.

Solicitor Geoff Muttart reminded councillors employees are legally entitled to parental and maternity leave. and an “employee cannot be in a worse situation when they return then when they left.”

Pearl made a motion to approve the draft policy as presented. It was defeated, with only Corkum voting in support. “It’s not unusual for staff to be a bit ahead of council in terms of HR policy issues,” Robicheau said after the meeting. He added the matter could come up again during contract negotiations with unionized employees in public works and the police department.