A White House memo issued on Feb. 2 points out that the United States is “one of the few countries in the world that does not guarantee paid leave” to employees.
More than 90% of America’s lowest wage workers, who are disproportionately women and workers of color, are not granted paid family leave through their employer, according to the memo, which expresses support for a national, comprehensive paid family and medical leave program, and encourages federal agencies to expand their employees’ access to paid and unpaid leave when they face a medical or caregiving need that affects their ability to work.
“Lack of access to paid family and medical leave can risk the health, well-being and economic security of workers and their families,” the memo reads. “Paid leave policies benefit both employees and employers, and will strengthen our economy as a whole.”
Just days after that memo was released, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act, which would make leave currently offered to federal employees under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) paid leave.
Under current law, most federal workers are entitled to as much as 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave for a variety of purposes, such as the birth of a child of the employee and the care of that child; the care of a spouse, child or parent of the employee who has a serious health condition; or an employee’s serious health condition that renders them unable to perform the essential functions of their role, for example.
Eliminating ‘an Impossible Choice’
U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced the House version of the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act, which was cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.). Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the legislation in the Senate, along with colleagues including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
“We were able to achieve a major expansion of paid parental leave for federal workers, but we still have more work to do,” said Beyer, in a statement. “This basic benefit for workers is even more crucial in the age of COVID, but the United States still lags the rest of the world in securing guaranteed paid leave for its full workforce.”
This recently introduced legislation mirrors a bill enacted in 2019, granting the federal workforce up to 12 weeks of paid leave in connection to the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child, according to Government Executive, which notes that the last Congressional session saw House Democrats advance the proposal out of committee. The measure failed to receive a vote on the floor.
Like their private-sector counterparts, federal workers are able to take up to 12 weeks of leave to address their own health condition or a family member’s illness, under the Family and Medical Leave Act. That leave, however, must be unpaid.
The current leave laws present public sector workers with “an impossible choice” between caring for their families and keeping their jobs, Senator Schatz said in a statement, adding that the bills proposed in the House and Senate would give federal employees “the time they need to take care of their own health and their loved ones.”
As Government Executive noted, federal employee unions like the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) “quickly endorsed” these recently proposed measures.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley pointed out that the federal government already reimburses federal contractors and grantees for the cost of providing paid family leave to their workers. Doing the same for direct federal employees “is not only the right thing to do,” it will prove to be more cost-efficient than replacing workers who leave for the private sector in search of more comprehensive benefits, “taking with them expertise and institutional knowledge.”
Ultimately, no parent should have to choose between taking care of taking care of their family or keeping their job, Congressman Fitzpatrick said in a statement voicing his support for the new bill.
“This bipartisan legislation would allow federal employees to take up to 26 weeks of medical and family leave, giving workers the opportunity to care for loved ones without worrying about job security of making ends meet.”
15 February 2023
Category
HR News Article