CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Clinic will offer fully paid parental leave to its employees starting in 2020, the hospital system announced Wednesday.
Eligible mothers will receive eight weeks of maternity leave, plus four weeks of parental leave following childbirth. The other parent will receive four weeks of parental leave.
The new benefits are expected to take effect by April.
The hospital system previously provided parental time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act, but did not offer paid parental leave. Maternity leave was previously part of a short-term disability program, and was not fully paid.
"At Cleveland Clinic, our employees are considered caregivers," Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic said in a statement. "They are the heart of our health system, and caring for them means investing in them and their families. That’s why improving the caregiver experience is one of our top priorities."