DoD updates parental leave policy

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christian Conrad
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Travis Air Force Base, California, Airmen who are expecting or planning to adopt can enjoy an extra bit of leave thanks to an updated parental leave policy courtesy of the Department of Defense Military Parental Leave Program.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately and retroactive to Dec. 23, 2016, applies to Total Force Airmen who are birth mothers and fathers, same-sex couples, as well as adoptive and surrogate parents. Reserve Component Airmen should refer to Air Force Instruction 36-3003 for specific eligibility requirements.

Master Sgt. Michael Richardson, 60th Air Mobility Wing Staff Agencies first sergeant, says the policy is just another example of the DoD’s commitment to the welfare of military families.

“The Air Force has always had a high interest in taking care of our families and this was just another way to ensure that was happening,” said Richardson. “You also see a lot of these changes happening outside the military, so as the military is having to compete to recruit the best Airmen, we need to make sure our policies aren’t too outdated with what the private sector is going by.”

For Tech. Sgt. Susan Blasco, 60th AMW weapons safety manager, the ability to take the leave afforded to her through the new policy was a great benefit after the birth of her son.

“I felt that everyone I encountered wanted the best for me and my family,” said Blasco. “My work center was very accommodating to my appointments and leave, which I don't think those in the private sector are as fortunate (to receive).  They have to use their vacation time to go to appointments.”

Although the vast majority of Americans favor the idea of paid parental leave, only 14 percent of employees in the private sector have access to it, according to a 2016 National Compensation Survey. This contrasts with the DoD’s new policy, which allows six weeks of maternity convalescent leave to all active duty birth mothers, six additional weeks to the primary caregiver and three weeks to the secondary caregiver.

The leave, the policy continues, needs to be taken all at once and cannot be split up. Despite that, though, the policy allows parents to take that leave at any point within the first year after a child’s birth or adoption in order to accommodate any potential deployments either parent may go on.

A father himself, Richardson knows the importance of the time during which a parent nurtures that relationship with their child.

“I think the ultimate goal of this policy is to support our Airmen in making sure their families are taken care of,” he said. “Whether I have enough leave saved up or not shouldn’t be the deciding factor on if I’ll get to bond with my new baby. And as stressful as having a new baby is, giving a person the time to make sure everything is good at home is going to pay dividends at how they help tackle the mission.”

Covered service members having a child by birth, adoption or surrogacy will determine which parent is the primary and secondary caregiver. Designations for caregiver status should be made as early as possible and follow DoD guidance. Each parent can only hold one caregiver status per birth event or adoption; for example, a secondary cannot transfer their leave to the primary caregiver.

“That’s the biggest heartache I see right now,” said Richardson. “Trying to figure out who can be a primary caregiver and who can be a secondary caregiver isn’t easy. The big thing for parents to know is they need to identify this up front and be prepared to possibly explain why they chose one over the other to their leadership.”

As Blasco begins her maternity convalescent leave what thoughts she has are for her son.

It’s a relief to know that bonding with your baby doesn’t have to be a worry when coming back to work, she said.

“Being a new mother is hard,” she said. “Not only did I come home with a newborn and have to learn how to care for him, I had to deal with the emotional changes that my body was going through. Knowing that I have been given this time off is a huge deal. This time off lets me build a good foundation with my son and I feel that when I go back to work, I know I’ll have already established a connection with him that will only be made stronger through his life.”

Airmen should submit their caregiver leave as determined by their local unit commanders. Until LeaveWeb is altered to allow for a caregiver leave category, members will request the nonchargeable caregiver leave by selecting (T) Permissive on the type dropdown menu, and then choosing rule 18 for primary and rule 19 for secondary.

The Air Force Personnel Center will send out guidance via MyPers on the process for requesting restoration of qualifying non-chargeable leave.

For additional information regarding the Military Leave Program, contact Air Force Total Force Service Center at 1-800-565-0102.