Is Paid Family And Medical Leave Inevitable? Perhaps, But There ’s A Long Way To Go From Here

The push for paid parental, family, and medical leave is gaining traction. But legislative action in Congress is still iffy and could easily be eclipsed by events or partisan rancor over the next year. This blog is an update to a Health Affairs Policy Brief that I wrote last year on paid family and medical leave policies. The brief, published November 21, 2016, provides an overview of the basic issues, research, and policy options. Those remain relevant 10 months later. But some things have progressed. The Trump administration and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Congress have released competing paid-leave proposals this year. Additional states have enacted paid-leave laws. More large employers have expanded paid-leave benefits. And public support continues to grow. The Trump administration’s proposal is in its 2018 budget plan and, although modest, constitutes the only new entitlement program the administration has proposed. What Do We Mean When We Talk About Paid-Leave? The terms family leave and parental leave are often used synonymously. But, strictly speaking, parental leave refers to programs that grant new parents a period of leave after the birth or adoption of a child. Further parsed, there’s maternal leave and paternal leave, which are self-explanatory. Family leave, in contrast, can encompass parental leave but also time off to care for an ailing or incapacitated family member (spouse, parent, or child) of any age or to attend to the needs of one’s ch...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Elsewhere@ Health Affairs Long-term Services and Supports Quality employee benefits maternity leave paid family leave paid medical leave paid parental leave paternity leave unpaid leave Source Type: blogs