Did you know 40% of Americans can’t cover a $400 emergency expense? Now imagine that emergency expense comes in the form lost wages. Missing just three days of work from a $15-an-hour job to care for a family member in poor health or from caring for a newborn child will cost an adult nearly $400. While the national Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects people from losing their job in these instances, who protects people from losing their wages.
While First 5 LA has not taken an official position, experts say a uniform, national policy on paid family leave could be a boost for everyone’s well-being, and even for the economy at large.
To be human is to understand that infants and their parents need to bond in the first months of life. Without that bond — as psychologist John Bowlby can attest — the rest of that child’s life is bound for possibly insurmountable challenges. And yet, in the United States, our family policies to support that critical period are woefully inadequate, forcing some parents to return to work just days after the birth of a child. Shamefully, we are the only nation in the developed world without a paid leave policy. Why? And what is being done about it?
The reasons why a national policy doesn’t exist are many and complicated. The U.S. did adopt the FMLA in 1993, which provides important job protection by guaranteeing 12 weeks of time off to care for a child or family member. The time is unpaid, however, and many parents cannot afford to take the full 12 weeks, or even a portion.
There are six states, plus Washington D.C., that do have paid leave policies. California was the first state to offer paid leave, adopting the California Paid Family Leave (PFL) policy in 2002. Employees in the state who pay into the State Disability Insurance can receive 60-70% of their full salary for up to 6 weeks of leave. This still has left a gap in salary, however, which many low-wage workers cannot afford. And if your employer does not pay into State Disability Insurance, you are back to unpaid leave. PFL is also oversubscribed by higher earning, white workers, creating an equity problem within the state. Last year California Governor Gavin Newsom expanded the PFL by two weeks and created a taskforce to develop options to increase leave access, provide better job protections, and to expand the length of coverage for California’s workers, continuing to make California the state a leader in providing paid leave.
Here are just a few of the beliefs that hold back a federal paid leave policy: paid leave is a matter for businesses to sort out, not the government; it would crush small businesses (despite the business community’s support of a federal policy); it would be too expensive; having child is a privilege for those who can afford it; non-parents shouldn’t have to pay for others’ bonding time.
Many of these arguments fail to take into consideration the social and financial benefits of a paid leave policy, such as higher employee retention and a healthy, well-adjusted future workforce. There is also the moral argument: time off to care for an infant or family member should be a right not a privilege. Leaving it up to businesses to sort out creates an uneven playing field where service workers are unlikely to receive the benefit while Fortune 500 companies can use it as an incentive to attract top talent.
There is movement to make paid leave a national policy. Ivanka Trump, daughter and advisor to the president, has made family policies one of her top issues and has held convenings and high-level bipartisan meetings with House and Senate representatives. In December 2019, President Trump signed a bill providing paid leave to all federal workers, which some believe is a sign a national policy is to come.The bills currently being considered are the Democratic-backed Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act) which would create a national fund similar to Social Security to pay for paid leave; and the bipartisan Advancing Support for Working Families Act which would let workers advance $5,000 of the Child Tax Credit to compensate for some of the wages they would lose when taking parental leave.
Businesses are increasingly adopting paid leave policies. Just in the last year, companies like Intel and Sweetgreens adopted family-friendly policies. Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian became a vocal paid leave supporter after the birth of his daughter; and after professional athlete Alysia Montaño shamed Nike for dropping her when she became pregnant, the company announced improvements to their policies for sponsored athletes. Interestingly, The Gates Foundation, however, announced they would cut back on their 52-week paid leave policy, finding it was too disruptive to regular business operations.
Municipalities are also trying to fill the gap. Last year, L.A. City Councilmembers David Ryu and Nury Martinez introduced a motion to establish a comprehensive parental leave policy that would require employers in the City of Los Angeles to make up the difference in pay from the partial compensation received by employees from the state PFL. The motion is still under consideration as L.A. officials are looking at options for turning the motion into an ordinance. They are also reviewing the potential economic impact.
Democratic presidential candidates are using paid leave as part of their campaign talking points. During the 2019 November Democratic debate, Andrew Yang emphasized how the U.S. is an outlier in its lack of paid leave and touted his universal basic income plan as a solution; Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Mayor Pete Buttigieg backed the FAMILY Act. Most candidates believe 12 weeks of paid leave is what should be offered.
As the varied story of America’s adoption of paid leave policies, or lack thereof, continues, First 5 LA has compiled a list of links to many of the news stories and other pieces written about the topic in the last year. This “library” is intended to give readers the history and background of the topic to help make informed decisions that may impact children and families. Because there are so many articles, we have organized them into bookmarked sections.
- Movement at the Federal Level
- Ivanka Trump
- Paid Leave for Federal Employees
- California Paid Leave Policy
- Other States/Municipalities
- L.A. City
- Presidential Election 2020
- Alexis Ohanian and Other Advocates
- Debate/Opposition
- General Opinion Pieces
- Female Athletes/Military and Paid Leave
NPR: GOP Rep. Ann Wagner Discusses Prospect Of National Paid Leave
NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., who enthusiastically shouted “Yes!” when President Trump raised the prospect of national paid leave in his State of the Union address. (Kelly, 2/6/19)
The Hill: Push for paid family leave heats up ahead of 2020
The issue of paid family leave is receiving renewed attention from the White House and lawmakers in both parties, putting it in the spotlight ahead of the 2020 election. (Jagoda, 2/14/19)
The Washington Post: Yes, Gillibrand and DeLauro introduced a family leave bill. More important, Republicans are introducing paid leave bills, too.
Paid leave has gone mainstream. (Sholar, 2/20/19)
American Enterprise Institute: The Challenge and Opportunity of Paid Family Leave
Access to paid leave has been shown to promote labor force attachment, especially for women, which is vital for economic growth. (Mathur, 2/19/19)
Roll Call: Republicans, seeing opportunities in the suburbs, advance paid leave plans
Current GOP proposals on tap in Congress could be the first of many in 2020 cycle. (Akin, 3/4/19)
CBS News (The World of Mothers Series):Part 1: Mothers grapple with unpaid maternity leave as lawmakers eye a change
Six states and Washington, D.C., offer some form of paid family leave, but the majority of American workers are at the mercy of their employers. (3/4/19)
The Washington Post: How to provide paid family leave without further indebting the nation
We started working on a new idea last year to provide paid family leave to all new parents — moms and dads — through the Social Security system, without burdening either employers or taxpayers. (Ernst & Lee, 3/13/19)
CNBC: New family leave proposal would require you to delay Social Security benefits
Two Republican senators are proposing a policy that would let new parents take up to three months of paid leave, provided they agree to delay their Social Security retirement benefits. (Konish, 3/13/19)
Also featured in CBS This Morning (3/13/19)
The Hill: GOP lawmakers offer paid parental leave legislation linked to Social Security
A group of Republicans on Wednesday introduced legislation that would allow people to pull forward some of their Social Security benefits to use for paid parental leave. (Jagoda, 3/27/19)
Also featured in The Washington Post (Cunningham, 3/27/19)
The Hill: Congresswoman Wagner has been a paid leave advocate for decades
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) recently introduced the New Parents Act. This forward-thinking legislation would offer new parents the option of claiming a paid leave benefit as they welcome their newest family member. (Bottner, 3/27/19)
TIME: Paid Family Leave Has Stalled in Congress for Years. Here’s Why That’s Changing
Advocates have long backed a national mandate for paid parental leave in the U.S., but it looks increasingly like it may pass in the near future, in part due to support from Republicans and the business lobby. (Vesoulis, 5/4/19)
Forbes: In The Fight For Paid Leave, Congress Is Making Progress This Week
But Congress is taking baby steps towards better policy this week. The House Ways and Means Committee is holding a full committee hearing Wednesday to discuss ways to better help workers and families, including ideas for better paid family and medical leave policies. (Ferrante, 5/6/19)
The Hill: Mixing unemployment with paid leave benefits makes little sense
For three years in a row, the budget proposal of President Trump has had a plan to add a paid parental leave program to the national unemployment insurance system. While there is indeed bipartisan support for expanding access to paid leave, doing so as part of the unemployment insurance system makes little sense. (Weidinger, 5/9/19)
The Hill: Congress can expand paid leave and help workers save with bipartisan support
Although 73 percent of Americans want the federal government to do more to expand access to paid leave, Republicans and Democrats are unlikely to agree to major legislation anytime soon. (Lukas, 5/15/19
WNYC, The Takeaway: The Hidden Failings of Family Medical Leave
While the country’s existing Family Medical Leave Act mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave, it’s more difficult to benefit from than one might imagine. (8/6/19)
The Hill: Washington takes historic step forward on paid parental leave
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy and Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema have recently introduced the first bipartisan paid leave bill proposed in Congress. (McCloskey, 8/5/19)
The New York Times: Republicans Now Support a Form of Paid Leave. So What’s the Holdup?
Democrats debated the issue Wednesday, but the real debate is with Republicans: over which workers would qualify and whether to pay for it by borrowing from their future benefits. (Miller, 11/21/19)
The Hill: White House makes push for paid family leave and child care reform
The White House on Thursday sought to rally support for paid family leave and child care legislation, with President Trump throwing his support behind the issue. (Dale, 12/12/19)
Also featured in Spectrum News (12/12/19)
Motherly: These are the paid leave policies gaining traction in Washington
This week, paid leave was a hot topic on Capitol Hill as a House Ways and Means Committee hearing discussed three competing paid leave bills: The FAMILY Act, the Advancing Support for Working Families Act and the New Parents Act. (Marcoux, 1/29/20)
The Hill: Joan Lunden presses lawmakers to support paid family leave legislation
Former “Good Morning America” host Joan Lunden is calling on Congress to pass legislation providing family and medical leave, saying the positive experience she had after giving birth to her first child should be one that’s enjoyed by all Americans. (Disalvo, 1/29/20)
The Hill: Ivanka Trump to meet with GOP senators to discuss paid family leave legislation
White House adviser Ivanka Trump on Wednesday will meet with GOP senators to discuss bipartisan support for paid family leave legislation. (Frazin, 2/12/19)
The Washington Post: The Health 202: Ivanka Trump pushes ‘bipartisan agreement’ on paid family leave
Momentum appears to be building on both sides of the aisle for Americans to receive mandatory paid medical leave for new parents and maybe even for people to care for sick family members. (Cunningham, 2/13/19)
The Hill: Ivanka must recalibrate her paid family leave plan to make it tenable
Trump wants to expand the current Family and Medical Leave Act to offer six weeks of paid leave to new parents. Its funding would be provided through unemployment insurance. (Marks, 2/19/19)
Newsweek: Ivanka Trump is ‘Shortsighted’ in Supporting New Paid Leave Plan That Fails to Meet Family Needs, Advocates Say
This week, first daughter Ivanka Trump applauded an effort to present yet another paid family leave bill in the Senate—but several advocacy groups said the proposal fails to meet families’ needs, with one leader calling Trump’s support “shortsighted.” (Kwong, 4/6/19)
USA Today: Divided Congress takes up an Ivanka Trump signature issue: paid family leave. Can they strike a deal?
Democrats, Republicans and the White House all agree that parents should get paid leave from their jobs to care for a new baby. They just differ on what a federal policy should look like and who should pay for it. (Collins, 5/8/19)
Newsweek: Here’s How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Paid Leave Policy Compares to Ivanka Trump–Backed Proposals
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday unveiled a strong paid family-leave policy, advocates on the issue agreed. (Kwong, 5/11/19)
Also featured in CNBC (Hess, 5/10/19), Huffington Post (Russo, 5/10/19), The Hill (Axelrod, 5/10/19)
Bloomberg: Ivanka Trump Meets Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian to Discuss Parental Leave
President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump met with Reddit Inc. co-founder Alexis Ohanian at the White House Tuesday as part of the push by the tech entrepreneur — and husband to tennis star Serena Williams — to promote paid family leave. (Sink, 10/22/19)
Also featured in Yahoo Finance (Henney, 10/22/19)
The Sacramento Bee: Ivanka Trump is ramping up paid family leave push with White House summit
The White House is inviting lawmakers to its first summit on paid family leave and childcare affordability next month in an effort to increase momentum for Ivanka Trump’s signature issues. (Chambers, 11/14/19)
USA Today: How Ivanka Trump is working on paid family leave, affordable child care – and why it hasn’t passed
Ivanka Trump took furious notes as she listened to parents, day care providers and employers explain the hurdles they’ve encountered searching for affordable child care during a recent roundtable on the issue, the seventh she’d held this year. (Crowder, 12/3/19)
CNN: White House holds summit on child care and paid leave
The White House held a summit on child care and paid leave on Thursday, an issue first daughter and senior presidential adviser Ivanka Trump has carried the torch on since President Donald Trump took office. (Vazquez, 12/12/19)
Roll Call: Ivanka gets President Trump to make the pitch for paid leave
“I had a very busy time and a very busy day, and my daughter said, ‘You will be here,’ so that was the end of that busy day,” President Donald Trump told a White House audience Thursday morning during a discussion on paid parental time off. (McGrady, 12/12/19)
The Hill: CEO group pushes Trump, Congress on paid family, medical leave
An association of CEOs from major U.S. corporations wrote to President Trump and congressional leaders urging them to pass federal legislation to make paid family and medical leave available to more Americans.
(Gangitano, 12/12/19)
The Hill: Ivanka Trump says she ‘definitely could’ support Democratic-led family leave bill
President Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump said Sunday she could be open to supporting a paid family leave bill even if it was led by congressional Democrats. (Budryk, 12/29/19)
Also featured in CBS News (Quinn, 12/29/19)
People: Samantha Bee Gives Surprising Credit to Ivanka Trump for Parental Leave Law After Once Calling Her the C-Word
The Full Frontal host put her feud with Ivanka to hold, giving her credit for helping pass a paid parental leave bill. (Neumann, 1/24/20)
Paid Leave for Federal Employees
The Hill: House Dems introduce bill providing paid family leave for federal employees
A group of Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation that would guarantee federal employees 12 weeks of paid family leave. (Brufke, 3/5/19)
The Washington Post: Paid federal family leave faces Senate uncertainty after ‘huge win’ in House
Federal employees would get paid leave to care for family members. (Davidson, 7/17/19)
FEDweek: Paid Family Leave Proposal Facing Headwind in Senate
The Senate has dealt a setback, although maybe not a fatal one, to prospects of federal employees gaining paid leave for parental and other family-related purposes. (10/2/19)
CBS News: Lawmakers near agreement to expand paid parental leave for federal workers
Capitol Hill leaders are nearing agreement in negotiations on an annual defense policy bill that would extend 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal workers, both military and civilian, in exchange for establishing President Trump’s space force initiative. (AP, 12/7/19)
Also featured in The Washington Post (Stein & Dawsey & Costa, 12/6/19), The Associated Press (12/8/19), The Wall Street Journal (Wise & Bender, 12/6/19), Slate (Politi, 12/7/19), USA Today (Hayes & Jackson, 12/8/19)
Huffington Post: 2 Million Federal Workers Don’t Get Paid Family Leave. That Might Change.
Giving federal workers paid time off ― to care not only for newborn children but also for sick family members ― would be a potential game-changer for the U.S., which is the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee paid time off for new mothers. The move could pave the way for a nationwide policy. (Peck, 10/4/19)
CBS News: Lawmakers near agreement to expand paid parental leave for federal workers
Capitol Hill leaders are nearing agreement in negotiations on an annual defense policy bill that would extend 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal workers, both military and civilian, in exchange for establishing President Trump’s space force initiative. (AP, 12/7/19)
Also featured in The Washington Post (Stein & Dawsey & Costa, 12/6/19), The Associated Press (12/8/19), The Wall Street Journal (Wise & Bender, 12/6/19), Slate (Politi, 12/7/19), USA Today (Hayes & Jackson, 12/8/19
NBC News: Congress reaches deal on paid parental leave for government employees
If passed and signed into law, it would be the first major benefit expansion for federal workers since the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave. (Caldwell, 12/9/19)
The Hill: Republicans push back on expanding paid family leave beyond federal workers
GOP lawmakers on Tuesday pushed back on a proposal that would create a national paid family and medical leave program, signaling Republicans aren’t willing to go beyond paid leave for federal workers in a massive defense policy bill. (Jarvis, 12/10/19)
The Washington Post: GOP opposition appears to fizzle as plan advances to create Space Force, parental leave for federal workers
Key congressional lawmakers announced their support Monday evening for a defense bill that would create both the Space Force and paid parental leave for more than 2 million federal workers, as signs of Republican opposition to the measure appeared to fade. (Stein, 12/10/19)
The Washington Post: The Health 202: Congress is poised to approve paid family leave for federal workers
Under a defense spending bill Congress is poised to approve, more than 2 million Americans who work for the federal government will be guaranteed paid leave for the birth, adoption or foster care of a child for the first time ever, starting Oct. 1, 2020. (Cunningham, 12/11/19)
Also featured in Roll Call (Macagnone, 12/11/19) The Hill (Kheel, 12/11/19), U.S. News & World Report (Stone, 12/11/19), Marketplace (Carino, 12/11/19), Reuters (Stone, 12/11/19), NPR (Noguchi, 12/12/19)
USA Today: Trump touts paid family leave push a day after House passes bipartisan defense bill
President Donald Trump on Thursday touted a bipartisan defense spending deal he reached with Democrats that includes his daughter Ivanka Trump’s signature policy of granting federal workers 12 weeks of paid parental leave. (Subramanian, 12/12/19)
TIME: ‘A Critical First Step’: Federal Employees Are Poised to Get Paid Parental Leave As White House Pushes For Budget-Neutral National Version
Just 24 hours before the U.S. House moved to approve articles of impeachment against President Trump, his daughter and Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump claimed a win for the White House. (Vesoulis, 12/13/19)
NPR: Senate Expected To Sign Off On Paid Family Leave
Next week, the Senate is expected to sign off on a defense bill that has a sweeping policy change tucked inside. It’s going to provide 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees. (Keith, 12/13/19)
NPR: Paid Parental Leave: How Republicans Learned To Love A Democratic Priority
Tucked inside a must-pass defense bill expected to make its way through the Republican-controlled Senate next week is a sweeping policy change: 12 weeks of paid parental leave for all 2.1 million federal employees. (Keith, 12/13/19)
Forbes: The U.S. Senate Just Approved A Bill To Provide Paid Parental Leave To Federal Employees
The bill would give 12 weeks of paid leave to mothers and fathers of newborns, newly adopted children or foster children. (Gross, 12/17/19)
PBS Newshour: How paid parental leave for federal workers could spur wider changes
The federal government’s 2.1 million employees will get paid parental leave for the first time, a galvanizing moment in the growing movement to bring the benefit to all U.S. workers. (Yen & Olson, 12/17/19)
Also featured in The Washington Post
ABC 7: 12 weeks of paid parental leave for 2.1 million federal employees included in defense bill
The federal government’s 2.1 million employees are expected to get paid parental leave for the first time as part of a defense bill the Senate voted to send to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, and Trump indicated he will sign it into law. (Rosenthal, 12/18/19)
Capitol Weekly: California’s paid family leave left new parents behind
Many Californians are surprised to learn that employers do not contribute a cent to Paid Family Leave. (Gonzalez, 12/18/19)
The New York Times: A California Dream for Paid Leave Has an Old Problem: How to Pay for It
Newsom, the incoming governor, is expected to propose the longest state parental leave in the nation: six months. (1/6/19)
KTLA 5: Newsom Unveils State Budget Promises on Paid Parental Leave, Education
California’s incoming governor, who must send his first state budget plan to the Legislature this week, has already signaled a significant new focus on programs to help families and children from infancy to college. (1/6/19)
The Week: Why Gavin Newsom’s family leave plan could become a model for the country
California’s new Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has a big idea: Six months of paid leave every time a family in the state has a child. (1/8/19)
The Hill: California governor to propose US’s longest paid parental leave policy: report
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is reportedly planning to propose a significant expansion to his state’s paid parental leave program, making it the longest in the country. (Folley, 1/10/19)
Huffington Post: California’s Governor Just Proposed The Longest Paid Parental Leave In The U.S.
Democrat Gavin Newsom’s proposal counts as groundbreaking and radical for the U.S.; it still falls short of what most developed nations offer. (Peck, 1/10/19)
POPSugar: California’s Governor Just Proposed Something HUGE: The US’s Longest Paid Parental Leave
While the US’s paid parental leave policies pale in comparison to other countries, Newsom suggested something groundbreaking today. (Brown, 1/10/19)
CALMatters: That Newsom proposal for six-month paid family leave? It’s bold—but less so than it seems
Californians who like the idea of getting more paid time off work to care for a new baby may find good news and bad news in the details of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget. (Morrar, 1/16/18)
CBS Sacramento: Push To Extend Paid Parental Leave Gaining New Momentum
Governor Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plan to extend paid parental leave may be gaining new momentum with legislation just introduced at the State Capitol that would make California the first state in the nation to offer parents six months of paid leave. (Abrams, 1/22/19)
KQED: Participation in California’s Paid Family Leave Program is Growing, But Who’s Benefiting?
Unlike workers in a lot of other states, many Californians have access to a state-run paid family leave program. Participation in the program is growing. But some lawmakers and others are concerned about who’s benefiting the most from paid leave — and who can’t afford to. (Orr, 4/11/19)
CBS Sacramento: Many Public Employees Not Eligible For Paid Family Leave – CBS13 Investigates
As Governor Newsom rolls out his plan for extending maternity benefits and paid family leave, CBS13 investigated why hundreds of thousands of state workers, teachers, firefighters, and other public employees still don’t have access to any state-funded paid leave after having a baby. (Watts, 5/15/19)
CBS Sacramento: Paid Leave Bill Passes
California teachers are one step closer to fully-paid disability leave after having a baby. (5/16/19)
The Hill: California lawmakers approve bill to give workers full pay for family leave
The California State Assembly on Thursday passed a bill that would give workers full wages when out on family leave. (Seipel, 5/24/19)
Futurity: Paid parental leave benefits moms and babies
California’s paid parental leave law appears to have improved the mental health of mothers and the overall welfare of their infant children, according to new research. (Pearson, 6/12/19)
Black Voices News: Health Benefits of California’s Paid Leave Policy Out of Reach for Black Women
When you type “maternity leave” into Google images, white women dominate the search results. That is not a mistake. (6/25/19)
EdSource: California’s big spending push for children could have national impact
As presidential candidates propose investment in child care and paid leave on a national scale, California’s success or failure could act as a bellwether. (Stavely, 8/8/19)
The Hill: California was a paid leave pioneer — now it’s time for Congress to act
As a pediatrician and scientist, I have spent my academic career researching social factors affecting health and health equity for children and families, including paid family and medical leave. (Chung, 10/8/19)
BusinessWire: New Report Highlights Need for Expanded Paid Family Leave in California
“The Budget Center’s findings echo Governor Newsom’s vision and the Legislature’s commitment to support California’s children and families,” said Erin Gabel, Deputy Director at First 5 California. (11/19/19)
CBS Sacramento (VIDEO): Paid Family Leave Investigation
Not every Californian gets Paid Family Leave. Investigator Julie Watts sits down with Governor Newsom to find out why. (1/9/20)
Business Wire: Paid Family Leave Expansion Needs Echoed by California Voters and Governor Newsom
A new public opinion poll conducted by Change Research demonstrates that California voters strongly support the expansion of Paid Family Leave which was recently proposed by the Newsom Administration. The online poll, funded by First 5 California, is inclusive of 1,315 registered voters in the state and represents a mix of demographic groups to reflect California’s diversity. (Gabel, 1/10/20)
Public News Service: Lawmakers to Consider Paid Family Leave Insurance
Just 16 percent of Nebraska workers currently have access to paid family and medical leave, but a new bill making its way through the state Legislature would create a statewide insurance pool to allow nearly all workers to be with family when health issues arise. (Galatas, 1/31/19)
NPR: Paid Family Leave Gains Momentum In States As Bipartisan Support Grows
In New Hampshire, there’s no requirement that employers offer paid leave to workers who are caring for newborns or taking care of elderly parents. (Noguchi, 3/5/19)
WAMU: Meet One Couple Who’s Waiting To Have Kids Until D.C.’s Paid Leave Program Starts
Starting in July 2020, more than half a million people who work in the private sector in D.C. could be eligible for the District’s new paid family leave program. (Yu, 3/7/19)
WAMU: The Largest Employer In D.C. — The Federal Government — Doesn’t Offer Paid Family Leave.
When D.C.’s paid leave program goes into effect next year, local workers will be able to take up to eight weeks of paid time off to take care of a new child. But employees of the District’s largest employer — the federal government — won’t get this benefit. (Yu, 3/12/19)
CBS News: 6 months paid parental leave? It’s now the norm for these city workers
San Juan municipal workers who become parents will now get six months of paid leave. (Cerullo, 3/14/19)
Chicago Public Radio: Paid Family Leave Survives Crucial Committee Vote After Major Revisions
For years, Democratic lawmakers have promised a program to let workers take paid time off to recover from a medical condition, welcome a newborn or care for a sick relative. Different versions have failed four times. (Brasch, 4/10/19)
U.S. News & World Report: North Carolina Governor Issues Paid Parental Leave Order
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says his directive that state agencies provide paid leave for workers following a birth means parents will no longer have to choose between their career or a child. (5/23/19)
Huffington Post: Connecticut Passes Most Generous Paid Family Leave Law In The U.S.
The state will be the seventh to offer the benefit to new parents. (Miller, 4/4/19)
Also featured in The Hill (Budryk, 4/4/19)
U.S. News & World Report: North Carolina Governor Issues Paid Parental Leave Order
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says his directive that state agencies provide paid leave for workers following a birth means parents will no longer have to choose between their career or a child. (5/23/19)
U.S. News & World Report: Vermont Senate Approves Paid Family Leave Bill
The Vermont Senate has approved a paid family leave bill by enough votes to override a potential veto by Gov. Phil Scott. (Falk, 1/19/20)
ABC 7: Parental leave: 2 LA City Council members propose policy for 100 percent paid family leave for 18 weeks
Council members David Ryu and Nury Martinez introduced the policy at Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting. (1/29/19)
Also featured in KTLA (1/29/19), The Los Angeles Times (Reyes, 1/29/19)
LAist: LA Parents Might Someday Get 18 Weeks Of Fully Paid Parental Leave
Ryu said that new parents – particularly low-income parents, who often face the fewest choices around returning to work – “shouldn’t have to choose between parenting and putting food on the table.” (Ogilvie, 1/29/19)
KPCC, Air Talk with Larry Mantle (Audio): LA City Councilmembers sign motion directing city attorney to draft paid parental leave ordinance — what might that look like?
As the state of California turns its focus to legislating more paid parental leave under newly-minted Governor Gavin Newsom, the city of L.A. is also setting its sights on an official paid parental leave policy. (1/30/19)
Los Angeles Daily News: Why two L.A. lawmakers want new parents to get up to 18 weeks of paid leave
Councilmembers Ryu and Martinez want employers in Los Angeles to help foot the bill. Some business groups are wary. (Chou, 2/11/19)
NBC 4: Proposal Offering 18 Weeks of Family Leave in LA Under Consideration
A policy which would allow new parents to take up to 18 weeks of fully paid leave without a reduction in pay is under consideration Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council. (4/2/19)
LAist: LA Parents Just Got One Step Closer To 18 Weeks Of Paid Parental Leave
New parents in Los Angeles might soon have more support from the city than ever before. In a vote today, City Council moved ahead with a motion that would grant 18 weeks of fully paid parental leave to families welcoming home a new baby. (Neely, 4/2/19)
Also featured in Fox 11 News (4/2/19), ABC 7 (4/2/19), Los Angeles Daily News (4/2/19)
NBC LA: Garcetti Announces Plan to Provide Parental Leave Pay for City Employees
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Wednesday unveiled a proposal to offer paid parental leave to city employees. (10/2/19)
