Paid Family Leave in the United States

Summary

Paid family leave (PFL) refers to partially or fully compensated time away from work for specific and generally significant family caregiving needs, such as the arrival of a new child or serious illness of a close family member. Although the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA; P.L. 103-3) provides eligible workers with a federal entitlement to unpaid leave for a limited set of family caregiving needs, no federal law requires private-sector employers to provide paid leave of any kind. Currently, employees may access paid family leave if offered by an employer. In addition, workers in certain states may be eligible for state family leave insurance benefits that can provide some income support during periods of unpaid leave.

As defined in state law and federal proposals, family caregiving activities that are eligible for PFL or family leave insurance generally include caring for and bonding with a newly arrived child and attending to serious medical needs of certain close family members. Some permit leave for other reasons, but in practice, day-to-day needs for leave to attend to family matters (e.g., a school conference or lapse in child care coverage), minor illness, and preventative care are not included among “family leave” categories.

Employer provision of PFL in the private sector is voluntary. According to a national survey of employers conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13% of private industry employees had access to PFL through their employers in March 2016. The availability of PFL was more prevalent among professional and technical occupations and industries, high-paying occupations, full-time workers, and workers in large companies (as measured by number of employees). Recent announcements by several large companies indicate that access may be increasing among certain groups of workers.

In addition, some states have enacted legislation to create state paid family leave insurance (FLI) programs, which provide cash benefits to eligible workers who engage in certain caregiving activities. California, Rhode Island, and New Jersey currently operate FLI programs, which offer four to six weeks of benefits to eligible workers. The New York program will begin implementation in 2018. The District of Columbia Council voted to create a FLI program with benefits payable starting in 2020; the bill is currently under congressional review. Implementation of Washington State’s program is delayed until a financing mechanism is identified.

Many advanced-economy countries entitle workers to some form of paid family leave. Whereas some provide leave to employees engaged in family caregiving (e.g., of parents, spouses, and other family members), many emphasize leave for new parents, mothers in particular. The United States is the only OECD member to not offer paid leave to new mothers.

The 115th Congress is considering proposals to expand national access to paid family leave. Key bills include the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act; S. 337/H.R. 947), which proposes to create a national wage insurance program for persons engaged in family caregiving activities or who take leave for their own serious health condition, and the Strong Families Act (S. 344), which would provide tax incentives to employers to voluntarily offer paid family and medical leave to employees.