PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      6a 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting    October 13, 2015 
DATE:    September 23, 2015 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Tammy Woodard, Assistant Human Resources Director  Total Rewards 
Paula Edelstein, Senior Director, Human Resources 
SUBJECT:  Motion to Adopt a New Paid Parental Leave Program 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission adopt a motion affirming its support of a new paid parental leave program
for non-represented Port of Seattle employees. 
BACKGROUND 
Paid parental leave is a benefit that is increasingly common among local and national employers.
While the Port currently maintains a comprehensive leave program for non-represented
employees, a specific paid parental leave benefit is not currently offered. In addition to the time
off employees are entitled under federal and state laws (12 weeks of unpaid leave), Port
employees may use accrued paid time off (PTO) to spend time with new children. In some
situations extended illness (EI) can also be used for time off following the birth or adoption of a
baby. Shared leave may also be available to employees who have limited amounts of PTO or EI.
A paid parental leave program will explicitly provide paid time off for new parents following the
birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. This time will be offered in addition to the
accrued PTO or EI the employee has available. Human Resources staff intends to incorporate
this new program into the 2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution. Thus on January 1, 2016, it will
be effective for any qualifying birth, adoption, or foster care placement. 
The proposed parental leave plan will offer four weeks of paid time off to both men and women. 
The time must be taken in one consecutive block and will need to be used within the 12 months
immediately following the birth, adoption, or foster care placement.  Four weeks of paid leave
will ensure Port employees have time away from work to bond with and care for their new child.
This leave will be in addition to accrued PTO and employees will be able to decide if they take
Parental Leave before or after their PTO, and how much of their available PTO they use in
conjunction with their Parental Leave.
While limited data is available on paid parental leave plans offered by local employers, the
available information indicates that plans, where they exist, vary considerably in how much paid
parental leave is available to employees. For example, City of Seattle offers four weeks, King

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
September 23, 2015 
Page 2 of 2 
County is considering offering up to twelve weeks, REI offers two weeks, and Weyerhaeuser
offers none. 
The proposed four week plan for the Port's non-represented employees has an estimated annual 
cost of $250,000 based on an estimated 32 eligible non-represented employees each year. The
factors considered in determining the estimate of eligible employees include: the births reported
on the Port's self-insured medical plan for 2013 and 2014, the assumption that the same
percentage of employees covered by the Group Health medical option will have babies each
year, an assumption for annual adoptions and foster care placements, and an average 2016 nonunion
salary of $101,587. 
We anticipate this new program will help enhance the Port's reputation as an employer of choice
among current and future employees with the skills and abilities to help the Port achieve its
mission. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
Motion of the Port of Seattle Commission endorsing a new paid parental leave
program. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None