Pushing Parental Leave
The idea of granting paid leave to new parents is gaining traction on Capitol Hill.
Federal employees, like other American workers, are entitled to up to 12 weeks of leave after the birth of a child. It's just not paid leave.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is working to change that, though. And at least one of the group's members believes that legislation to establish a paid parental leave policy for federal employees has a serious shot at passing this Congress.
Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has rolled out two bills that would provide at least eight weeks of paid maternity leave for civil servants, and paternity benefits as well.
One bill (S. 80) would provide at least eight weeks of paid leave for a mother after childbirth, while requiring a minimum of one week of paid leave for fathers and adoptive parents.
A broader bill (S. 1681), which would apply to both public and private sector employees, would permit the eight weeks of paid leave to women and men for the birth or adoption of a child, care for a critically ill child, spouse or parent, or for personal recovery from a serious illness.
"Roughly half of federal employees are female, and to recruit and retain the most talented women, the federal government must find a way to offer this assistance," said Liz Connell, a legislative assistant and senior health adviser for Stevens, at a legislative breakfast Wednesday sponsored by the nonprofit volunteer advocacy group Federally Employed Women.
While it may seem that paid leave legislation is nothing new, Connell said the issue has gradually drawn bipartisan backing. "Its chance of becoming a reality is greater than ever," she said. "If we continue to build support on both sides of the aisle, we'll have the chance to pass paid leave legislation this Congress."
According to the Work, Family and Equity Index, released by researchers from Harvard and McGill universities, the United States lags behind 163 other countries that guarantee paid maternal leave and 45 countries that provide paid paternal leave. Additionally, 37 countries already ensure paid leave for the care of an ill child.
On top of Stevens' legislation, the Office of Personnel Management appears to be jumping on board with an idea to provide employees with short-term disability benefits, which would include paid maternity leave.
OPM's new position is a far cry from where it stood in 2001, when it issued to agencies a study that found the federal government's leave policies and programs compared favorably with benefits offered in the private sector. But after discovering that the government's lack of paid leave was hindering its ability to recruit women of childbearing age, OPM has started to seek a remedy. OPM Director Linda Springer said in May that the proposed benefit could be offered through insurance, making it easier to swallow for budget-minded legislators.
Meanwhile, Connell said that Stevens has high hopes for the legislative branch as well. Currently, there are variations in policies on Capitol Hill, since each congressional member is responsible for instituting his or her own policy, Connell said.
She added, however, that since Stevens took office in 1968, every woman on his staff has been entitled to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave with the option of temporarily working part-time schedules beyond that.
"Stevens believes that federal employees deserve better," Connell said. "They deserve consistency and a guarantee that time off will be available when it is needed most -- when they start a new family."