It will now be up to the Tennessee legislature to decide whether state employees will get 12 weeks of paid family leave, a benefit that was supposed to start March 1.
On Wednesday, Gov. Bill Lee backtracked on his January announcement of an executive order to give paid leave for new parents or workers caring for a sick family member.
It would have been among the most generous leave policies of any state government in the country.
“I’m proud of our state workers and offering them this benefit will help us continue to retain the best and brightest and help those who help our state,” he said during his annual State of the State address.
In his new statement, Lee says the decision to defer to the General Assembly follows consultation with legislative leaders. He also says putting the 12-week paid leave into state law will make the benefit more permanent while streamlining the process.
“We will propose legislation that is retroactive to March 1, 2020, so that no state employee is negatively impacted by this change in course,” Lee said.
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