Mayor Carney Signs Family Leave Ordinance for City of Wilmington Employees

WILMINGTON - Mayor Carney on Thursday signed Ordinance 25-073, strengthening Wilmington's paid family leave policies for City employees. Over three years since then-Governor Carney signed theDelaware Healthy Families Act, the ordinance expands upon impending paid leave guidelines at the state level, set to officially take effect throughout Delaware's private and public sectors on January 1, 2026.

"These policies provide families with the support and flexibility necessary to navigate life-changing events like welcoming a child or caring for a loved one," said Mayor John Carney. "This is especially important in supporting African American women in our workforce who face serious discrepancies in maternal mortality relative to other demographics. We have a responsibility to ensure that our policies support their health, safety, and access to care."

Sponsored by Councilwoman Bracy, Ordinance 25-073 adopts the following changes to the City's current paid leave guidelines:

• The statewide standard 12 weeks of parental leave following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child, paid at 100% of the employee's salary

• Flexibility to allow parental leave to be taken in 12 weeks of continuous leave or intermittently in consecutive 2-week intervals throughout the first year following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child

• An additional 6 to 8 weeks of medical leave for the birthing parent at 100% of their salary, available on the first day of employment, totaling up to 20 weeks of paid leave for an employee who gives birth to a child

• Six weeks of leave paid at 80% of the employee's salary, available every 24 months to cover leaves of absence if the employee has a serious health condition, is caring for a family member with a serious health condition, or has a qualifying exigency as a result of a military deployment in their immediate family

While the Healthy Delaware Families Act permits employers to offset the cost of providing paid leave through employee contributions to a state fund from which claims are paid, the City has opted to provide paid leave at no additional cost to employees.

"With the Mayor's signature, this ordinance becomes more than policy. It becomes a promise to our City employees," said Councilwoman Latisha Bracy. "It affirms that Wilmington values the people who keep our government running by supporting them during life's most critical moments: welcoming a child, recovering from childbirth, or caring for family. This law strengthens recruitment and retention, promotes equity in the workplace, and sends a clear message that taking care of our employees is essential to building a strong, effective City."

"Our employees are the backbone of City services. Providing paid leave during these significant life moments, often accompanied by increased vulnerability, stress, and transition, not only offers support and financial stability to our employees, but it also enables them to return to work engaged, productive, and focused on serving the City of Wilmington," said Taylor West, Acting Director of the Department of Human Resources. "It is our hope that these benefits demonstrate to current and prospective employees that the City of Wilmington is an employer that values our people, prioritizes employee well-being, and promotes equity by removing barriers to remaining in the workforce."

In tandem with statewide paid family leave regulations, the policies set forth in the ordinance will formally go into effect on January 1.

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