St. Louis changes its family and medical leave policy

ST. LOUIS - The City of St. Louis is changing its family and medical leave policy.

Mayor Cara Spencer says workers now cannot use paid family and medial leave until they have used their accrued medical leave, sick leave, vacation leave and comp time.

Paid family and medial leave was a benefit passed by city ordinance in 2022, providing six weeks of paid leave for specific medical situations.

The mayor's office says the change will bring St. Louis more in line with leave policies of other cities and governments.

“Bringing our policy in line with industry best practices is what was needed to strike the right balance between delivering high-quality services and providing important benefits that can support, attract and retain City staff," said Mayor Spencer via a news release. "Even with these changes, our benefits are above industry standards.”

There will be exceptions after the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child.

FOX 2's news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch report the change comes after complaints of abuse and increasing costs tied to the city's family and medical leave program.

According to the Post-Dispatch, more than 600 workers in St. Louis City used the benefit last year, or around 10% of the city's workforce.