Tompkins County’s JEDI team told the Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee on May 28 that it is researching options to propose a countywide parental leave policy, with one prominent model being a county‑paid 12‑week leave for both birth and adoption for either parent.

Rachel Graham, deputy county clerk and chair of team JEDI, said the group is looking at models used elsewhere, including Ulster County. "We were inspired by Ulster County, who recently passed a resolution for a 12 week parental leave for both birth and adoption for either parent," Graham said, adding that JEDI planned to develop two or three proposal options and is meeting weekly to move the work forward.

Members raised operational and bargaining questions. John Palachik asked how a new leave policy would work with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and whether a county policy would be in addition to FMLA coverage; Graham said that interplay is one of several options the group is still researching. Committee members also discussed how collective bargaining units could be affected: Charlene Holmes, Tompkins County chief equity and diversity officer, said local bargaining‑unit representatives told staff that if a leave was adopted countywide and within their scope, it could be implemented without major barriers but might be phased across units to reduce budget impact.

Committee members asked whether adoption, foster placements and lengthy adoption processes would be covered. Graham said the team’s research aims to remove unnecessary barriers and to treat "parent" consistently so employees in varied family‑building situations can access leave, though final policy wording remains to be decided.

The JEDI team’s near‑term goals: refine options, assess cost and implementation pathways, and seek a proposal that could be presented in advance of county budget deliberations. Committee members noted that if a county‑paid benefit is proposed, cost estimates and a phasing plan would be important to secure legislative and administration support. No formal vote or policy adoption occurred on May 28; the JEDI team is continuing research and plans to present proposals to decisionmakers before the budget cycle.