Paid Parental Leave for Federal Workers
Position:
The federal government, unlike
many large private employers, does not provide
paid parental leave to its employees. Employees
must save accrued annual and sick leave to
receive paid time off. While the current
practice works for the lucky few who never get
sick or take a vacation, it is unrealistic for
most. The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave
Act (H.R. 616) will promote the values of
parenthood and family by providing four weeks
of paid leave to federal employees who adopt,
foster or have a child. The Federal Workers
Alliance strongly supports the Federal
Employees Paid Parental Leave Act.
Background:
Most federal workers are
entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the
Family Medical Leave Act. However, if an
employee wants to receive pay for any portion
of their parental leave they must use accrued
vacation time or sick days, a difficult task
for those who are newly employed or have
experienced any health problems in the
past.
This outdated policy does not promote a
family-friendly environment and stands in stark
contrast with the rest of the industrialized
world.
The United States is one of
the only industrialized nations in the world
that does not offer paid parental leave to all
workers. Most countries recognize how important
it is for mothers to recover from childbirth
and for parents to nurture their children
during some of their most developmental stages.
As the federal government often sets the bar
for employee benefits, passage of this bill
could inspire other sectors of government and
private corporations to offer paid parental
leave and bring our country closer to the
global standard of paid parental leave.
Offering paid leave will also
improve recruitment and retention for federal
employees and make federal agencies more
competitive with other top tier U.S firms. In
the coming years, recruitment and retention
will be increasingly important as the number of
retirements increases at an unprecedented rate.
While the federal government cannot compete
with private-sector salaries, the Federal
Employees Paid Parental Leave Act will help to
establish comparable
benefits.
The Federal Workers Alliance strongly supports the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, H.R. 616, legislation that will provide four weeks of paid leave to federal employees who adopt, foster or have a child and ease the burden for parents too often forced to choose between their paycheck and their child.