Paid Parental Leave: New Requirements for Allegheny County Employers
By
On Oct. 22, 2026, Allegheny County, Pa., enacted what’s believed to be the nation’s first countywide paid parental leave mandate. Employers must comply by October 2027.
Employers doing business in the county with 15 or more employees anywhere must fund 12 weeks at base pay, capped at $4,200 weekly, for birth, adoption, child placement or stillbirth.
Employees qualify after 180 days on the job and 80 hours a year in the county. Part-time employees also need 625 hours during that time period. Employers must maintain benefits, restore equivalent jobs, provide notices and certify compliance annually.
Noncompliance may result in penalties of $100 per day, per violation, plus civil action from employees.
More info: Allegheny Co File #14083-26
Further Reading
Washington Paid Leave Premium Increases Jan. 1
On Jan. 1, 2027, Washington’s Paid Family & Medical Leave premium increases to 1.2%, from 1.13%. Employers will pay 29.3% of the paid leave premium; the employee share is 70.7%. Employers may cover some or all of employees’ share. Generally, employers with fewer than 50 employees don’t need to pay the employer share unless they […]
Year-End Fringe Benefits: Check Payroll’s Accounting Cutoff
With year-end approaching, payroll teams should review whether the IRS’s optional special accounting rule makes sense for certain taxable noncash fringe benefits. The rule lets employers treat benefits provided during November and December (or a shorter period within those months) as paid in the following year. For example, personal use of a company vehicle in […]
Handy Open Enrollment Jargon Cheat Sheet for You
Open enrollment can be a hectic time of year for HR pros and the employees you help. Add open enrollment jargon to the mix, and you can ensure confusion will flourish. Clarifying Open Enrollment Jargon So we’re equipping our readers — and your employees — with a handy jargon cheat sheet to get through benefits […]
Massachusetts Changes PFML Contribution Allocation for 2027
Massachusetts recently updated its paid family and medical leave contribution guidance after passing Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2026. The changes take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The law shifts employer contributions from medical leave to family leave to mitigate the impact of IRS guidance on PFML benefit taxation. Employers with 25 or more covered […]
Make a Bigger Impact with Your Benefits with the Right Choices | 2-Minute Video
Choosing benefits isn’t a check-the-box activity for employees anymore. Employees want — and need — benefits that fit their lives. Notice, we didn’t say they need more. They need the right benefits so they can use them and manage them to the fullest. What’s Up in This Episode: Right-Fit Benefits That’s why, in this episode […]
Why Employees Struggle With Open Enrollment and 6 Ways to Help
As open enrollment season looms, HR departments will want to prepare to help employees before it even starts. They’ll have questions, and you want to give them the information they need to make the best decisions about their benefits. Employees have confidence in you to answer questions and take care of them: Two-thirds of employees […]