Family and Medical Leave

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

February 04, 2013

Chamber of Commerce, Wrong Again

May 19, 2011
Family Leave: mother and child

Another Job Killer Lie Exposed

January 21, 2011

Cry Wolf Quotes

We are about to place a mandate on our struggling employers that does not exist in 48 other states. This is not a welcoming message to companies looking to expand here or explore New Jersey as a place of investment.

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Kevin Friedlander, spokesperson for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, The Newark Star-Ledger.

The state must stop trying to impose mandates and requirements on businesses that our competitors in other states simply don't have to deal with.

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Philip Kirschner, New Jersey Business and Industry Association president. The Associated Press State & Local Wire.

New Jersey is anti-business. This bill creates even more of an anti-business climate. ... It's one more mandate, one more tax, one more reason for the move to Pennsylvania.

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Republican State Senator Kevin O'Toole. The Bergen County Record.

There is definitely a major disconnect between our leaders in Trenton and the people who pay taxes and employ residents. Legislators and the governor seem to think our residents and employers have deep pockets and unlimited resources to fund their bloated bureaucracy, when that is far from the case. This madness has to end.

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Jim Leonard, senior vice president of Chamber of Commerce. The Newark Star-Ledger.

Evidence

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.