Got Paid Leave?

When I gave birth to my first baby in 1990, I clearly remember the company informing me that if I chose to stay home past six weeks, they could not guarantee me my job back (little alone paid time off). Hmm. Fast forward 34 years, and I am thrilled that my home state of Minnesota passed a Paid Leave Law. Thank you to all those who made this a reality!!

The National Council on Family Relations recently featured an article on the benefits of family leave. According to author David Rothwell, Ph.D., “New evidence suggests that paid parental leave improves maternal and child health, reduces economic hardship, and has a positive impact on partner relations. Policy design features such as eligibility, leave duration, and wage replacement rates vary across states. To reduce between- and within-family inequality, paid parental leave should be accessible to all workers, should include full or near-full wage replacement, and should last at least 12 weeks.” Read more about the policy recommendations here https://www.ncfr.org/system/files/2024-01/State%20Paid%20Parental%20Leave%20Exec%20Sum%20January%202024_0.pdf.

Rothwell, D. Ph.D. (January 2024). State Paid Parental Leave Policy: A Tool to Reduce Inequality Within and Between Families. National Council on Family Relations Policy Brief.