Should Congress Mandate 6 Weeks Of Paid Parental Leave For Federal Employees? (H.R. 532)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 532?
(Updated November 29, 2019)
Under current law, federal employees are guaranteed a total of up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave for the birth of a child and/or care of the newborn. While those 12 weeks without pay are always offered, the amount of paid time off a new parent can take varies widely.
The current Family and Medical Leave Act allows congressional offices to decide the number of weeks of paid parental leave their employees receive. While many congressional offices give their employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave, others provide as few as 2.
This bill would guarantee that 6 of those 12 weeks of parental leave for all federal employees and congressional staffers would be paid.
Argument in favor
Parental leave is essential for the health and development of children and their parents. Paid leave not only reduces stress for new parents, but also reduces employee turnover and allows for a more inclusive workforce.
Argument opposed
Not all new parents that work for the federal government need 6 weeks of paid leave. This mandate would be costly and could reduce the productivity of federal organizations and congressional offices.
Impact
Federal employees and their babies, families of federal employees, and all federal agencies.
Cost of H.R. 532
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable. However, a CBO estimate of a previous version of this bill done in 2009 (H.R. 626) found that implementation of this act would cost $67 million in 2010 and a total of $938 million over the 2010-2014 period.
Additional Info
Of Note:
According to a Presidential Memorandum, paid leave policies in the U.S. lag behind other developed nations. Currently, employees in many congressional offices are expected to use sick days after the birth of a child.
Sponsoring Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) noted in support of her bill that this current policy is inadequate, as many people cannot save enough vacation and sick days to constitute a full parental leave. Sponsoring Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has also voiced her support, saying of the current policies: "It’s all but useless except for women like me, women who have leave, or women who can afford to take time off from work."
In Depth:
Sponsoring Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) has introduced this bill into every Congress since 2000. She offers her staffers 12 paid weeks of maternity and paternity leave.
Media:
Sponsoring Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) Press Release
CBO Cost Estimate (Previous Bill Version)
A List Of The Members Of Congress Who Offer Paid Leave
Presidential Memorandum – Modernizing Federal Leave Policies
(Photo Credit: Flickr user Monika Clarke)
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Anyone in Congress who does not support paid parental leave clearly only cares about corporations lining their pockets instead of the American people they are supposed to represent. Why do we continue to put up with this blatant corruption?