Paid Family Leave Pros And Cons

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The United States, the only high-income country and one of eight in the world that has yet to mandate paid family leave (Haymann, 2013). Paid family is a benefit that allows employees to take time off from work for the birth of a new child or family caregiving. Currently United States offers parents the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) option, which guarantees workers twelve weeks of unpaid leave to care for a new born (DORA, 2018). According to the White house, 39% of full-time American workers have access to paid family leave. The 2014 National Study of Employers (NSE) from families and work institute showed that only 14% of American employers offer paid paternity leave options. Although these numbers are much higher than centuries ago, the …show more content…

Since the effect of paid leave on labor force participation rates is typically much higher for women than men, offering paid leave can help push the economy towards gender equality in labor force participation. This equality has obvious implications for economic growth. (Aguirre, Hoteit, Rupp, and Sabbagh, 2012). The benefits of paid family leave to individuals, to businesses, and to society are well-documented. Not only could a paid family leave program keep women in the workforce and decrease their need for public assistance, but it could reduce employer costs and contribute to U.S. economic …show more content…

Family leave, both paid and unpaid, has been shown to have significant benefits for the health of individual family members and for the well-being of the family overall. The length of leave taken, whether or not that leave is paid, and the proportion of income replaced during paid leave all affect the magnitude of the benefits of family leave. Paid family leave may also affect economic growth in various ways, such as through increased labor force participation, increased fertility rates, and reduced spending on public assistance. The need for paid family leave in the United States remains pressing. While a small minority of states has taken bold steps to ensure their residents have access to paid family leave, the majority remain without such