Title
Resolution to Direct the City Administrator to Create a Temporary Child Care Benefit for City of Ann Arbor Employees, and to Appropriate Funds ($580,000) for the Child Care Benefit (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
This resolution directs the City Administrator to create a child care benefit for employees to use this fall to help them secure child care while their children are at home and while employees are working from home. The City has received numerous requests from employees for assistance in balancing their parenting responsibilities with their work responsibilities, with many parents feeling overwhelmed by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, the federal government approved a new paid 12-week FMLA benefit this spring for which most city employees are eligible. This benefit guarantees employees ten weeks of paid time off for pandemic related reasons-including child care and home schooling-at 2/3rds of their normal rate of pay. Absent some kind of child care benefit, we believe a number of employees may utilize this paid FMLA option which could potentially create operational issues within various city departments.
The City of Ann Arbor has strived to be a "work place of choice" for the talented and motivated professionals in our region. Recognizing that the City may never be truly competitive with the private sector in terms of wages, we have made it a priority to become a workplace that offers attractive benefits, a positive workplace culture, and workplace that is supportive of families and work-life balance.
With this in mind, the staff is recommending the creation of a temporary Child Care Benefit in the amount of $500 per month to assist employees with procuring child care and/or homeschooling services. The benefit would be provided as a reimbursement, and the city would reimburse contracted child care services that are being provided by someone other than an immediate family member. Employees would be eligible for the benefit on...
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