Increase Number of U.S. Staffers Eligible For Parental Leave

To remedy the problem, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, has introduced the Federal Employee Parental Leave Technical Correction Act, which will include the Federal workers and agencies left out of the original bill.

Covers Foster Care, Adoptions

“Because we passed the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act earlier this year, more than 2 million Federal employees received a guarantee of 12 weeks' paid leave for the birth, fostering, or adoption of a child,” Ms. Maloney said in a statement. “The legislation we are introducing today will ensure that even more Federal employees no longer need to choose between their paychecks or being home with their new child.”

“With this continued bipartisan cooperation, we can provide working families with resources to care for their young children, in order to achieve a fulfilling work-life balance in our modern economy,” said Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV).

The agencies that missed out the first time around include the FAA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender offices, the Executive Office of the President and White House, and Article I Judges including Bankruptcy and Magistrate Judges.

Limit on Employee Couples

Government Executive reported that the Trump Administration supports the inclusion of all Federal workers but that in the Office of Personnel Management budget proposal, the agency called for limiting the amount of paid leave to 12 weeks per “given child,” meaning “a set of parents who are both Federal employees could only take a combined 12 weeks after they have or adopt a child.”

“This would simplify administration, provide a reasonable limit on the amount of paid parental leave that may be used in connection with the birth/placement of a child, and be consistent with the objective of allowing parents to bond with a new child,” OPM wrote.

The Federal workers already covered under the parental-leave measure that was part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law by President Trump will be able to start applying for the benefit in October, according to OPM.

In a press briefing Feb. 10 at the American Federation of Government Employees’ National Legislative Conference, interim President Everett Kelley said the 12-week paid parental leave was a big step forward toward the union’s ultimate goal of winning family leave, which would include paid time to care for a sick family member.

Just 14% Have Right

Currently, only 14 percent of the workforce across the country has access to paid family leave, with just a handful of states codifying the benefit in state law.

According to the Pew Research Center, the United States is the only one of the 41 member nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that does not mandate paid parental leave.

“This new paid benefit will help Federal employees better balance their work and home lives, and it will give agencies a needed advantage when recruiting and retaining workers to carry out critical missions on behalf of our country,” Mr. Kelley said in a statement when the original parental-leave bill was signed into law.

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