CHICAGO (CBS) — The Chicago Public Schools are apparently throwing employees a bone, after announcing plans to drop the accrued sick day policy that is costing the district $37 million per year.

Earlier this month, 2 Investigator Dave Savini brought to light the very expensive, and yet legal, perk that some employees of CPS and other city agencies have been taking advantage of. CPS administrators and teachers cash in unused sick or vacation time when they quit or retire.

CPS records obtained by the 2 Investigators showed a whopping $89 million has been paid out for this perk in the last three years alone. At least 203 employees received payouts of $80,000 or more.

Earlier this week, CPS announced that chief executive officer Jean-Claude Brizard would be presenting the Chicago School Board with a proposal to end the policy.

But the Chicago Sun-Times’ Michael Sneed reports CPS will also be offering employees a new perk – maternity leave for the first time ever.

Sneed reports CPS will offer maternity leave for non-union employees as “short-term disability related to an illness.”

Sneed says offering maternity leave could be a way of throwing employees a bone, with lucrative payouts from accrued sick days no longer allowed.

The maternity leave plan allows new mothers leave of up to 90 days, with employees receiving 100 percent salary for the first month off, 80 percent for the second, and 60 percent for the third.

CPS does not offer paternity leave.