ML Interest Tag: family-leave

Congrats to Connecticut Working Parents! Your Governor Just Signed a Paid Family Leave Law

by Erica Loop

Connecticut just took a major step towards helping families. The state recently joined six others (and the District of Columbia) in offering paid family and medical leave.

The state’s senate and house recently approved the bill, but Connecticut workers were still waiting for the governor to sign before rejoicing. Now that wait is officially over!

The new act, which was signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday, will give private sector employees 12 paid weeks of paid leave to care for a new baby or sick family members. The sliding pay scale isn’t just for salaried employees. It also provides minimum wage workers with up to 95 percent of their would-be earnings, capped at $900 per week.

Along with giving workers paid leave to care for infants and their fam, they can also get an additional two weeks of benefits if they aren’t able to work during pregnancy.

Even though Lamont has already signed the law into effect, employees aren’t eligible to start collecting benefits until Jan. 1, 2022.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Isaac Taylor via Pexels

 

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Target Is Helping Families with These New Employee Benefits

by Erica Loop

The big red bullseye retailer recently announced some pretty family-friendly employee benefits changes. And that means Target is helping its employees to care for more babies, kids, aging parents and other family members in need.

While you might expect to see a family benefits expansion for salaried employees, the newly announced perks extend to hourly workers, including part-time employees.

photo: Mike Mozart via Flickr

So how is Target now going above and beyond to help employees who are also caregivers? New benefits include expanded backup child or elder care, new paid family leave (including double the amount of paid time off for new parents on top of the existing medical leave they receive after giving birth) and double the amount employees already get for adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement.

Of the changes, chief human resources officer, Melissa Kremer, said in a press statement, “Our team finds so much support here to grow their skills and careers, make a difference in their communities, and take care of themselves and their families—including benefits that we’re enhancing to be more relevant across a breadth of life stages.”

—Erica Loop

 

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This State Just Approved 12-Week Paid Family Leave

by Erica Loop

It’s no big secret that the United States lags behind most other countries when it comes to paid family leave. But with the recent addition of Connecticut’s paid leave bill, there are now seven states giving workers the option to take time off after having a baby—and much more!

After passing the state senate and house last week, Connecticut governor, Ned Lamont, has plans to sign the bill into law, “ASAP.” So what does this new law mean for parents who live in the Northeastern state?

photo: Wayne Evans via Pexels

Under the new act Connecticut workers will get up to 12 weeks of paid family leave. And this doesn’t just include leave for parents with new babies. It also includes paid time off for workers who need to care for grandparents, older children and siblings. The law, which goes into effect in 2022, will provide 95 percent of low-wage employees’ pay (capped at $900 per week).

Non-low-wage earners may receive weekly paid leave up to 60 times the state minimum wage, according to the National Law Review. The law also allows employees to collect a paid intermittent leave entitlement—if they don’t need to take 12 weeks in a row off.

Previous family leave laws in Connecticut required employees to work at a company for a minimum of 12 months and at least 1,000 hours before getting the then-unpaid benefit. The new family leave act removes this requirement, setting a three-month employment minimum. Employees must also have already earned $2,325 in this period to qualify.

—Erica Loop

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These Are the Best States for Working Moms, According to Study

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Juggling parenthood and a career is never easy especially for moms who face obstacles, like gender pay gaps and difficulty returning to work after taking time off. According to a new study, where you live can make a big difference in how these factors impact your career. Find out if your state ranks in the top ten best states for working moms below.

The study conducted by WalletHub used three main factors to determine the best states for working moms, including child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance. Within those categories they assessed each state based on 16 specific metrics, like gender pay gap, pediatricians per capita, school ratings, median women’s salary, and child care costs among others. With data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Partnership for Women & Families, and several other studies and research organizations, WalletHub ranked each state based on the metrics.

Based on WalletHub’s findings here are the top 10 states for working women:

  1. Massachussets
  2. Rhode Island
  3. Connecticut
  4. Vermont
  5. District of Columbia
  6. New Jersey
  7. Minnesota
  8. Wisconsin
  9. New Hampshire
  10. Washington

“Given that we still lack federal paid family leave in the United States and it is unlikely to materialize in at least the short term, firms should provide paid leave so all workers – not just professionals – have the financial ability to take time off after the birth of a child,” said One E. Winkler Ph.D. a Professor of Economics & Public Policy Administration at the University of Missouri at St. Louis who was part of a panel of experts on the study.

Winkler continued, “Such policies benefit firms as well as parents by improving worker morale and attachment to the firm. Other policies that support families include on-site high-quality, affordable day care or subsidies to help workers purchase this care. Flextime is also important so that parents can adjust their schedules for doctor’s visits, etc.”

You can check out the full list if rankings for all 50 states here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Christina Morillo via Pexels

 

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This State Will Now Give 12 Weeks of Paid Family Leave to Parents

by Shahrzad Warkentin

New Jersey has joined a growing number of states offering paid family leave. Doubling its previous mandated paid leave to 12 weeks, the Garden State is now among the best in the country.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy just signed legislation that will provide 12 weeks of paid leave after childbirth, as well as to care for a sick family member. The new law increases the weekly maximum benefit from $650 to $860. It also increases the allowed intermittent leave from 42 to 56 days within a 12-month period.

photo: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

“No one should ever be forced to choose between caring for a family member and earning a paycheck,” Murphy said in a statement. “By providing the most expansive paid family leave time and benefits in the nation, we are ensuring that New Jerseyans no longer have to face such a decision and that working families are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. This comprehensive paid family leave program, coupled with the newly passed earned sick leave and minimum wage increase, are fundamental elements in building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all working families.”

The new benefits will go into effect beginning July 2020.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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This State Is Rolling Out 16 Weeks of Paid Family Leave: What Parents Should Know

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Washington state is joining California and a handful of other states in making progress on paid family leave, with the roll out of a new program that will provide up to 16 weeks of paid leave for new parents.

Starting Jan. 1, 2020 workers in the state of Washington will be eligible to take 12 weeks of paid leave to bond with and care for a new baby, while couples will be able to take a combined leave of up to 16 weeks. Those who face pregnancy complications, as defined by a doctor, will be able to take up to 18 weeks. The benefits will be available through the state’s newly implemented Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

photo: smpratt90 via Pixabay

Since the start of the year workers and some employers have begun contributing payroll premiums to the statewide insurance pool that will fund the program. The average worker will pay just $2 per week towards the fund. Anyone who has worked at least 820 hours with one or multiple employers in the past year, including public, hourly, salaried and part-time employees, is eligible to receive Paid Family and Medical Leave. Those who are self-employed will also be able to opt-in. The benefit paid out will be a percentage of an individual’s regular wages with a cap of $1,000 per week.

Just last month new Governor of California, Gavin Newsom proposed a similar program to offer up to six months paid leave. With more states recognizing the need and benefits of paid family leave hopefully the rest of the country will soon follow suit.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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California Could Be the First State to Offer 6 MONTHS of Paid Parental Leave

by Shahrzad Warkentin

California is already among the most progressive states when it comes to providing parental leave, but if Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new paid parental leave policy goes into action, it will be the best in the country.

Last week, Newsom revealed his budget plan for the state of California. Among its initiatives, he plans to spend the state’s surplus on is a new parental leave policy that would offer parents six months of paid time off to bond with their new babies. In 2002, California became the first state to offer paid parental leave. The California Paid Family Leave provides up to six weeks of partial pay to employees (both women and men) in order to take time off when they welcome a new baby, either through birth or adoption.

Under Newsom’s new plan the paid leave would be extended to six months, although not per parent. Previously each parent was able to take six weeks for a combined four months. “It’s a developmental necessity,” Newsom said in a press conference. “We’re committed to this.”

We’ll have to wait to find out if this new policy will actually get enacted, but if so, it could hopefully be the first step in pushing other states towards similar policies.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Daria Shevtsova via Pexels

 

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Microsoft’s New Paid Family Leave Policy Is Actually a Pretty Big Deal—Here’s Why

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Paid family leave in the United States ranks among the worst in the world, but more American companies are starting to step up and provide benefits for their employees with families. Microsoft’s new paid parental leave policy is  revolutionary, and hopefully one that will be a trailblazer for more companies to follow suit.

Microsoft just announced a new policy that any companies with 50 employees or more that do work for the tech giant must provide a minimum of 12 weeks paid parental leave, for either a birth or adoption. The companies also have to pay their employees a minimum of $1,000 per week while on leave.

Photo: iStockphoto

“By implementing that requirement, we were able to focus our resources on businesses that share with us a commitment providing employees with important benefits such as paid time off,” Microsoft’s corporate VP and general counsel Dev Stahlkopf said in a company blog post. “We believe now is the time to work with our suppliers to take a next important step.”

Microsoft already provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave for its own full-time employees, as well as offering an additional eight weeks off for birth mothers.

“Studies show that paid parental leave enriches the lives of families,” Stahlkopf continued. “Women who take paid maternity leave are more likely to be in the workforce a year later and earn more than mothers who do not receive paid time off.”

While this new policy only extends to Microsofts vendors and contractors, it will hopefully encourage other American companies to put similar policies in place. There is no federal law mandating paid family leave, however four states including California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York already have their own paid family leave programs in place, with both the District of Columbia and Washington state planning to enact paid family leave laws in 2020.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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Alexis Ohanian’s Talks Paternity Leave & “Being Present” as a New Dad

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Reddit co-founder and new dad, Alexis Ohanian is leading the charge on establishing routine paternity leave in the US. He recently sat down for an interview with CNN on the topic and here are some of Alexis Ohanian’s quotes about paternity leave that all parents should read.

Family Bonding

Ohanian points out that taking time off when a baby is born isn’t just beneficial to a dad bonding with their baby, it’s also an important way for parents to connect with each other. After all, having a baby is a major change to any relationship that can take some time to adjust to. “To have those moments and feel that closeness was just spectacular and there are things we have with each other that I’m grateful for. Being able to develop that connection to the little one, but then also to my partner, my wife was so valuable as well.”

Unexpected Surprises

Even with all the planning on the world there are always surprises that come with welcoming a new baby, some more challenging than others. As Ohanian illustrates, having that time off can help you deal with the unexpected. “I had every intention as co-founder and executive to lead by example and take that whole period, and I didn’t realize though just how important that would be. My wife had had a really great pregnancy but then complications during and after the birth meant she was dealing with a lot herself and I had to do everything I could to be the supportive husband and supportive father, and it really put into perspective for me how important creating this family leave policy is for men and women who want to become parents.”

Business Benefits

It’s not just dads that benefit from parental leave. Their companies will thrive with a supportive work environment that cares for the needs of its employees. “What it’s ultimately going to mean for the organization is a way healthier, better functioning organization. I think what is lost on a lot of people is your teams are not robots, they are humans and if you really are expecting them to do great work, they need to be in a great state of mind.”

Hopefully more companies will follow Ohanian’s lead and make parental leave more accessible for both moms and dads.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: NRKBeta via Flickr

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Walmart Expands Maternity and Paternity Leave

by Erica Loop

The U.S. isn’t exactly at the top of the list when it comes to countries that offer crazy-awesome family leave benefits. But that isn’t going to stop Walmart from adding to their maternity and parental leave benefits. Along with other incentives, such as an increase to their starting hourly wage and a one-time $1,000 cash bonus for eligible associates, the big box retailer is taking a step towards making it easier to parent.

Walmart’s new expanded parental leave policy will give full-time hourly associates 10 weeks of paid maternity leave. Along with the maternity leave increase, Walmart is also adding six weeks of paid parental leave. This goes for both hourly and salaried employees.

The mega-retailer also wants to help associates who want to adopt. Their adoption assistance plan provides $5,000 per child for full-time hourly and salaried employees. Associates can use this money to pay for fees that adoption agencies charge, translation fees and even for the legal fees that are part of the adoption process.

Doug McMillon, Walmart’s President and CEO, said in a press release, “Today, we are building on investments we’ve been making in associates, in their wages and skills development.” He added, “It’s our people who make the difference and we appreciate how they work hard to make every day easier for busy families.”

With Walmart’s new maternity, paternal and adoption assistance policies, they’re certainly making a statement and doing more to help their employees parent while still working.

How many weeks paid leave do you think are enough after having or adopting a baby? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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