On paid family leave, more states follow Washington's lead
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A number of states are joining Washington in offering paid family leave.
Why it matters: Paid leave policies give new parents time to recover from birth and bond with their babies, while reducing financial stress on growing families.
Driving the news: Last fall, Washington was one of only eight states with paid family leave programs fully up and running, along with Washington, D.C., per the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Then Colorado started offering paid time off for new parents in January.
- And new laws in four other states — Delaware, Maine, Maryland and Minnesota — will start paying out parental leave benefits within the next two years, per the labor department.
Zoom out: The U.S. offers 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid family leave for some employees, but doesn't have a paid federal parental leave policy.
- Only about 27% of Americans working in the private sector have access to paid family leave when they welcome a new child, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau.
- Meanwhile, most countries guarantee paid maternity leave and paid paternity leave.
State of play: Washington state's paid leave program offers up to 12 weeks of paid family bonding time for eligible employees.
- Women who give birth can receive four to six weeks of additional leave.
Flashback: State lawmakers in Washington approved the policy in 2017, becoming the fifth U.S. state to guarantee paid family leave benefits. Payments began in 2020.
How it works: You can check your eligibility and find necessary paperwork on the program website, then start your application using this state portal.
Go deeper: Six months paid parental leave is optimal, but not realistic