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
By paying workers who take extended time off from the job for almost any sort of family concern, this mandate would impose significant costs in the form of payments for replacement workers, including overtime. It would disrupt work schedules and leave difficult gaps in staffing for small and large companies…It's already hard enough to do business and provide jobs in New York state. Our leaders in Albany should not make it still harder.
The signing of this proposal places California in the position of being the first state in the nation to implement a program that pays for workers to take non-work related time off. This will cause California to lose some of its competitive edge, as many businesses will look to other states when relocating or starting up to avoid these types of mandates.
The nanny state continues, churning out one bad piece of legislation after another!....Yes, we should have compassion for people, compassion for our workforce. When my father had a heart attack in November, which went well into December, I had to take time off - but I worked around it ....Not all workplaces can do that. Those that can should look for ways to accommodate employees, if possible. This is a slippery slope we're on in New Jersey. The nanny state legislators want to give away everything, but forcing this kind of legislation on employers is the beginning of the end. It will drive employers right out of New Jersey, increasing the already alarming exodus of manufacturing and other jobs and residents in general.
Passing this bill puts us on a slippery slope to closing exemptions and mandating paid leave.
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.
