American Sustainable Business Network Urges
Allegheny County to Lead the Nation on Paid Parental Leave
With the Pennsylvania Sustainable Business Network, ASBN calls on
County Council to pass paid sick and parental leave as momentum builds for a national standard
October 7, 2026
The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) and the Pennsylvania Sustainable Business Network (PASBN) are calling on the Allegheny County Council to vote yes on the Allegheny County Health Department’s proposed amendment to Article XXIV, Paid Sick and Parental Leave.
Michael Jarrett, former PASBN Deputy Director, presented the business case on behalf of both networks at an Allegheny County Council hearing at the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PASBN works with businesses across sectors throughout Pennsylvania. ASBN brings national research and policy experience. With its members and state affiliates, ASBN’s network collectively represents more than 200,000 businesses.
A report co-published by ASBN and Panorama found that large companies that adopted or expanded paid leave saw average revenue per full-time equivalent employee rise 4.6% and profit rise 6.8%. Studies also show that per-worker labor costs fall when workers can take paid leave, and the reductions are largest at small businesses. For Allegheny County specifically, an Ohio River Valley Institute analysis estimates the policy could add 2,744 to 5,000 workers and $100 million to $215 million in wages to the local economy.
A countywide standard would also help small employers compete for talent. Large companies are more likely to offer paid leave voluntarily, which gives them an advantage in hiring.
“Allegheny County has the opportunity to show what local leaders can do,” said David Levine, Co-Founder and President, ASBN. “But all businesses and workers deserve access to these beneficial policies. Pennsylvania should institute a state-wide program and Congress should finish the job with a national paid family and medical leave program.”
ASBN has supported paid leave policies at the federal level and in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Local wins like Allegheny County’s would build momentum, but workers’ access to paid leave still depends on where they live and who they work for. A national program would give every worker the same security. It would also put every business, regardless of size, on equal footing.
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About American Sustainable Business Network
American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) amplifies the collective voice of sustainable business to lead the way to a regenerative economy that is stakeholder-driven, just, and prosperous. As a multi-issue, membership organization advocating on behalf of every business sector, size, and geography, ASBN works to advance its mission to inform, connect, and mobilize sustainable business leaders, transforming the public and private sectors toward a just and regenerative economy.