FAMILY “RAISING PHASE” Parental Leave Chapter: PAID LEAVE
No federal paid parental leave program currently exists in the US, and unpaid FMLA doesn’t apply to all employees. Left to th e states, many offer no parental leave benefits. Other states offer only partial leave payment, resulting in reduced income while personal/family expenses simultaneously increase. Many companies leave this to the government to regulate and relieve themselves of any corporate responsibility.
Challenge
• Anecdotal : “I wasn’t even acclimated to being a new mom yet before I had to start thinking about how to balance all the day -to-day activities with returning to work. I wish I could have afforded to stay home longer with my newborn and process my own transformation.” • Only 39% of workers have access to paid family leave benefits (per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 data for “Management, Professional, and Related” occupational group).
Importance
GOOD
BETTER
BEST
Paid parental leave beyond state minimum benefits Benefits are consistently applicable for all family growing scenarios (including surrogacy, adoption, etc.) Additional leave considerations for NICU stays and high-risk infants
Allow employee to add on accrued PTO or vacation time to extend their leave after paid parental leave expires Allow employee to add on additional unpaid time off to extend their leave, up to a maximum limit (i.e. 12 months) without risk of job loss
If state provides short-term disability or parental leave stipend at reduced rate, make employees “whole” by supplementing the government assistance, so that employee receives regular income during their leave
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Antidotes
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76% of recognized “Best Firms” have a parental leave policy, which correlates with increased employee satisfaction.
Leading Firms
6 weeks paid parental leave for moms, dads, and domestic partners for birth, adoption, foster care.
Paid family leave for non-birthing and adoptive parents, with extended leave for birthing parents.
Read more: Zweig Group feature on “ Parental Leave ” dated 3/7/21. • American Progress fact sheet on “ The State of Paid Family and Medical Leave in the U.S. in 2024 ” dated 1/7/21. • Moms F1RST “ Paid Family Leave Resources and Tool Kit .” • SHRM feature on “ Why Employers Should Encourage Fathers to Take Paid Leave ,” dated 2/8/24.
Additional Resources
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