Family and Medical Leave
The United States is the only developed nation that does not provide paid family leave to its citizens. The U.S. doesn’t even mandate paid maternity leave; the only other nations that don’t offer such basic support include Lesotho, Liberia, Papua New Guinea, and Swaziland. After the passage of the Federal Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, the U.S. requires larger employers to offer unpaid family leave to their workers. As of this writing, California and New Jersey are the only two states that offer paid family leave.
Commentary
Chamber of Commerce Was Wrong About Family and Medical Leave Law
Cry Wolf Quotes
Massachusetts cannot escape the new world order. As business across the nation resists being used as a government beast of burden, or run by its unions, it outsources jobs overseas to workers who are grateful to have them. Or hires illegal immigrants. Or begins to develop robots to take the place of entitled, demanding humans. Eventually, American ex-workers will have lots of free time to hang out with their families, though the money to feed, shelter and clothe them may be in short supply.
The family-leave bill is another example of the crass hypocrisy that afflicts the leisured class on Capitol Hill. Its champions sanctimoniously call it ‘pro-family,’ but it really places a tax on mothers who work because they must work to support their families. The type of ‘family’ it would truly benefit would be two lawyers who marry each other and have their first offspring at 38 after having purchased their big house in the suburbs and the his-and-her ‘Beamers.’ If Congress wants to help families that are economically stressed, it should simply cut taxes. In the meantime, the president should not waver on his promise to veto this yuppie vacation law.
[The Democratic Party] don't get that the ability of American businesses to create jobs is directly related to the burden government places on their backs. They don't get that mandating family and medical leave is just one more burden added…. Mandating that business pick up the tab for these benefits allows them to advance their agendas without spending Federal dollars.
It's seems like it's not good timing -- that we could be chasing business out of California. We definitely support employees and family issues and want to make sure we create a good working environment. However, putting California businesses at a competitive disadvantage compared to other states only means that business will go elsewhere.
Related Laws and Rules
Evidence
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Leaves That Pay: Employer and Worker Experiences with Paid Family Leave in California
The Center for Economic and Policy Research's recent survery of employers and employees shows that California's paid family leave law has provided a plethora of benefits.
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A Workable Balance: Report to Congress on Family and Medical Leave Policies
A tenth anniversary study of the Family Medical Leave Act's effects.
Backgrounders & Briefs
The Work, Family and Equity Index: How Does the United States Measure Up?
The Project on Global Working Families is a study that measures worldwide social safety nets.
Resources
Institute for Women’s Policy Research is a prominent think tank that is largely focused on American women's issues. This covers everything from pay equity to welfare reform to domestic violence.
MomsRising focuses on "bringing important motherhood and family issues."
The National Partnership for Women and Families leads the national fight for paid sick days and paid family and medical leave.
