This week, U.S. Catholic editors sat down with Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich. One of the things he spoke about was the Chicago archdiocese’s new parental leave policy, which offers 12 weeks of paid leave to employees—male or female—who have recently had a child. (The full interview will be available in our October 2016 issue.)
Here’s what Cupich told us when we asked him what inspired the decision to offer such an important benefit to employees:
First, I come from a big family. I have eight brothers and sisters. I have lots of nephews and nieces, and great nephews and nieces. I know that there are stresses in families today that there have not been before, and stresses in marriages. Children coming into the world is a particularly new event for a couple and I think we have to be supportive of them.
Secondly, it is what the church teaches. If we’re really going to be pro‑family, then let’s be pro‑family, and invest in families.
I also think, and this is sometimes ignored, that this is a smart business decision, because if I really want to attract young energetic people to serve in the church who are high energy and have transformative power to get things done, and I want to keep them, then I need to make sure that I support them.
I think it’s a smart business decision as well as in terms of the gospel, and it’s socially aware.
I want young people to be a part of the administration in the archdiocese. I want them to be a part of it. Now, people say, “It’s going to cost you $1 million a year.” Yes, that’s fine, but we can spend $1 million in a lot of other ways.
We have about 15,000 full- and part-time employees in the archdiocese and the policy applies to about 7,000 employees. If we all work together and we all support each other, we can get it done. The issue is, where are you going to invest? Let’s invest in something beyond maintenance. That’s not a smart way to spend your money. Let’s invest in people. Let’s invest in talent and ways in which people are going to grow.
I think this comes at the right time with “Renew My Church,” because this program of parental leave says in a very tangible way that this is about investing in people.
Image: Flickr cc via Fast Families
Add comment