A resolution to extend the paid parental leave period from four to 12 weeks paid was passed by the Staff Council, a body representing University of New Mexico Staff. On Friday, March 6, the University Policy Office released a policy update for internal review that would increase allotted paid leave for UNM staff to eight weeks.
According to the policy update, UNM is looking to offer eight weeks of paid leave for staff. It will take approximately two weeks to hear if it will be officially adopted after the initial 30-day comment period. It is also possible for the updated policy to go into a second round of internal review, or become available for public comment.
The Staff Council is currently negotiating for 12 weeks of paid leave, though eight weeks would be considered progress in the right direction, Staff Council President Damion Terrell said.
If adopted, the policy would impact staff employed by UNM Main Campus and branch campuses. UNM had approximately 6,600 staff employees in 2025, according to the UNM Office of Institutional Analytics.
This resolution is part of a broader, statewide movement to institute paid parental leave for staff, Terrell said. The City of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico both adopted 12-week paid parental leave models in 2019.
Prior to the passage of a formal resolution, past Staff Council presidents have been advocating for the extended parental leave during one-on-one meetings with the president of the UNM Human Resources Department, Terrell said.
Staff currently supplement their parental leave period with their annual sick leave or paid leave, and when choosing an employer, prospective staff weigh salary and benefits, and parental leave is an important benefit, Terrell said.
“We’re really trying to encourage retention for staff at UNM, and it will make UNM more competitive as an employer, and decrease turnover,” Terrell said.
Staff are more likely to return to the same employer if they offer adequate parental leave, according to a study referenced by the Staff Council resolution from the Nested Institute for Families.
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 gives staff of public agencies and covered private companies 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for childcare, according to New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. Faculty at UNM are allowed one semester of parental leave with full pay and may take additional unpaid parental leave if needed, according to the UNM Faculty Handbook.
Anneliese Ward, a staff councilor and primary author of the resolution, said an extension of the parental leave period is an opportunity for UNM to reaffirm its commitment to staff and their ambitions outside the workplace. Longer parental paid leave would also be in line with what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, an organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children, she said.
“This policy would be particularly helpful to staff with growing families, as well as those who deal with complications due to pregnancy or require a recovery period,” Ward said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Shin Thant Hlaing is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
