Family Leave in the US: Current Laws, Recommendations, and Impact

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of paid family leave in the United States, addressing current laws, benefits, and recommendations. It begins by examining the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and its limitations, highlighting the inaccessibility of leave for many American workers. The report then delves into the benefits of paid family leave, including improved health outcomes for both parents and children, increased economic security for families, and enhanced gender equality in the workplace. It also explores the impact of paid leave on employee productivity and retention. The report suggests the adoption of comprehensive paid family leave policies, advocating for employee contributions and highlighting the positive dividends in the health and economic fields. References from various sources support the findings, offering a detailed overview of the current landscape and potential improvements in paid family leave policies.

FAMILY LEAVE OF
ABSENT
PRESENTED BY

CURRENT PAID LEAVE LAWS
• One of the issues faced by baby boomers is how to care for their
children and work at the same time
• Current laws governing caregiving seems incomprehensive
• Existing law is Family and Medical Leave Act
• The act guarantees employees up to 12 weeks of leave for family or
medical reasons

CURRENT PAID LEAVE LAWS
• Under FMLA, the time remaining from work is unpaid
• There are many restrictions on who can use FMLA
• FMLA is inaccessible to millions of American workers
• The first paid leave is the maternity leave where the female workers
are entitled to three months of the leave with full payment upon the
delivery of the child.

CURRENT PAID LEAVE LAWS
• There are working mothers that struggle to patch together both the
paid and unpaid leaves
• The laws are not conclusive and comprehensive
• The adoption of laws also varies from state to state

SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS ON PAID
FAMILY LEAVE
• Paid family leave should be highly recommended as it has various
benefits
• With paid family and medical leave insurance the babies become
healthier
• Seniors or aged are also better taken care of as they age
• The families become more economically secure and more businesses
thriving due to the paid support even when they are on leave

SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS ON PAID
FAMILY LEAVE
• With paid family leave, employees are more likely to come back to
work when they are fully ready and with peace of mind to become
more productive.
• Employees should contribute to paid family leave.

HOW PAID LEAVE LAW WILL HELP EMPLOYEES
• The paid family leave will help in many ways.
• Paid family leave in the United States is associated with health and
economic well-being.
• It allows workers to have a newborn baby with health benefits for both
the child and the parents.
• The positive dividends in the health field will continue for many years

HOW PAID LEAVE LAW WILL HELP EMPLOYEES
• Paid family leave reduce cost of living
• Having a child, taking personal sick leave, or taking parental leave in
the United States is often at an extremely high price.
• Ensuring an equal amount of leave for fathers can support maternal
health, the role of the father in the family.
• Improve gender equality in the family and in the workplace

HOW PAID LEAVE LAW WILL HELP EMPLOYEES
• Six months of paid family leave provide critical coverage for general
life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.
• Social insurance in form of paid family leave is economically viable for
everyone.

REFERENCES
• Addati, L., Cassirer, N., & Gilchrist, K. (2014). Maternity and Paternity at Work: Law and Practice across the World. Geneva: International Labour Office.
• Cloutier, D. (2019). The Family-Leave Impasse. Commonweal, 146(15), 16–18.
• Denly, C. (2018). Paid Family Medical Leave in the U.S.: Good for Families, Good for the Economy. UCLA. Retrieved from:
https://ph.ucla.edu/news/press-release/2018/feb/paid-family-medical-leave-us-good-families-good-economy
• Hoffman, J. B. (2018). Family forward: Catholic companies offer creative solutions to support parents and families. U.S. Catholic, 83(4), 12–16.
• Isaacs, Healy &peters (2017). Paid Family leave in the United States: Family and medical insurance leave Act, H.R 947
• Kornfeld, S. K. (2018). A Need Not Being Met: Providing Paid Family and Medical Leave for All Americans. Family Court Review, 56(1), 165–179.
https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12329
• Lee, K. S., Read, D. W., & Markham, C. (2018). The Case for Extending Coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act to Include a Period of Time
Following the Death of a Family Member for Whom Leave Was Taken. Southern Law Journal, 28(1), 27–45.
• Shute, R. N. (2017). Family and Medical Leave: Examining Recovery and Bonding Time to Promote Healthy Families Who Utilize Surrogacy. Family Law
Quarterly, 51(1), 95–116.
• United States. (2017). Paid family leave: The benefits for businesses and working families: hearing before the Subcommittee on Children and Families
of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, second session ... July 30, 2014