Akron Reporter

At a press conference held this morning, Mayor Shammas Malik announced updates to two City of Akron policies.

Mayor Malik has adjusted the city’s parental leave policy to move the eligibility date from one year of service to 30 days of service. Permanent full-time employees are eligible for 240 hours of paid parental leave. Read the full policy here.

He has also combined two previous executive orders issued in 2016: one declaring the city as an equal opportunity employer and the other dealing with discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The combined order adds more definition around protected classes and includes: age, race, color, creed, religion, pregnancy, parental status, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, familial status, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, miliary status or any other legally protected group status. The order also provides examples of what constitutes as harassing conduct. This brings city policy in alignment with the city’s ordinances. View the full order here.

“Modernizing the City of Akron’s workplace policies is a critical step in retention, recruitment, and moving City Hall forward,” said Mayor Malik. “Extending our parental leave benefits to employees after 30 days of service better supports our workforce and makes the City of Akron a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Similarly, more clearly defining protected classes for areas of discrimination and harassment improves our workplace by sending a clear signal to all those in marginalized communities that the City of Akron is a welcoming employer and will support you not only as an employee but as a person.” 

Original source can be found here.