Item - 2020.EX12.11

The Executive Committee:

1. Requested the City Clerk to review the current Pregnancy and Parental Leave Policy for Members of Council, and report back to the April 21, 2020 Executive Committee meeting with any recommended adjustments including but not limited to:

a.  maintaining Committee quorum during the leave period;

b.  notification and management of agency, board and commission appointments;

c.  possibility of a proxy vote or parental leave replacement;

d.  recording of votes during the leave period; and

e.  extra staffing support for the Council office during the leave period.

In May 2018, for the first time, City Council approved a Pregnancy and Parental Leave policy for Members of City Council. Adopting a policy was required following changes to the City of Toronto Act that received Royal Assent in May 2017, requiring that municipalities approved such a policy. However, as we work to ensure that our City Council is representative of our entire city, it is important that our Parental Leave policy for Members of Council does not discourage people from running for elected office, but in fact encourages it.

Highlights of the policy include: Council Members are eligible for up to 20 weeks of pregnancy leave or parental leave without the need to be excused by Council, recognition that all rights and privileges associated with being a Member of Council continue during the leave, including salary and benefits, eligible Members notify the City Clerk of their intent to take leave approximately two weeks before the start of the leave, including the expected start and return dates, and that eligible Members may continue to manage their offices, or may delegate administrative matters to the City Clerk.

As it has only recently been implemented, leave under the new policy has not yet been taken by any Member of Council. Despite this, questions remain regarding how this policy will work in practice, as it has yet to be tested. These questions include: the maintenance of quorum at Committees, Board appointments, how votes are recorded during the leave period, possibility of a proxy vote or parental leave replacement, and extra staffing support for the Council office during the leave period.

Thus, it is incumbent on us to review the effectiveness of our policy in providing for parental leave, to ensure that it is appropriate and will be readily used in the future.