Oklahoma Senate Approves Legislation for Paid Maternity Leave for Full-Time Female State Employees

CLICK HERE to listen to Radio Oklahoma's Dale Forbis on paid maternity leave.

The Oklahoma Senate has approved legislation granting six weeks of paid maternity leave for full-time female state employees.

The author of the bill, Republican State Senator Jessica Garvin, said the bill is a good way to retain state workers. Employee turnover is estimated to cost Oklahoma 110 million dollars each year.

“When we are able to hire, recruit and retain high-quality employees in state agencies, that helps with government efficiency," Garvin said.

The state of Oklahoma has almost 19,000 female employees, and just under 13,000 are of childbearing age.