D.C. May Lead the Way for Paid Family Leave

The District of Columbia may become the most progressive place in the nation for new families, or the select few individuals who have family members or loved ones. Far from a niche minority, a bill introduced this week by D.C. Councilmember David Gross (I-At Large) outlines the first paid family leave period in the nation, and includes coverage for caregivers, domestic partners and the LGBTQ community.

While the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act protects employees from losing their jobs for taking extended leave, it does not require that leave be paid, and limits access to full-time employees who have been with a company for over one year. The United States is one of only two countries that does not ensure paid maternal time off. The other country? Papua New Guinea.

The legislation, called the Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015, will allow residents and workers in Washington, D.C., both part-time and full-time, 16 weeks of paid family leave, and it is not limited to maternal leave. The act is inclusive of individuals with “qualifying events” such as birth or adoption, major medical operations for a worker or family member providing care, or a serious health condition. The language is especially broad to include LGBTQ access to domestic partner care and leave for procedures that require recovery.

But if this bill passes, who will fund it? The businesses themselves. A pool will be created out of each company’s payroll tax, which will average between .25 and 1% of the company’s payroll tax. Self-employed D.C. residents can enjoy access to paid leave by paying into the pool directly. While opponents of paid family leave say it is unfair for D.C. businesses to fund the program, there has been quantifiable evidence that paid family leave is a benefit to companies’ overall staff retention and satisfaction. Research shows that parents with paid family leave are more likely to return to his or her job than those without paid leave. In addition, 15% of parents who lack paid family leave turn to public assistance, according the U.S. Department of Labor.

While people may think the cost of paid leave is too expensive, the cost to individuals trying to manage life events already taxes resources. In “The Cost of Doing Nothing”, by Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor Thomas E. Perez, he asks: “What is the cost of doing nothing on paid leave? While we fail to take action, who pays the price? The answer is clear. We all pay a very steep price: as workers, as families, as employers and as a nation.”

The benefits are clear. New dads and male caregivers benefit just as much as new mothers from paid family leave. The bill also addresses growing wage inequality, and access to quality time off for the working class. While the U.S. as a whole lacks paid family leave, those who are most affected are in the working class, workers who live paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford unpaid leave. Women who can afford to take unpaid leave or quit a job to bond with their babies have an advantage over working-class new mothers. We all want equality for women, and this act helps bridge the equality gap for all women.