DOL Releases Issue Brief on State Paid Leave Programs

The Department of Labor (DOL) Women's Bureau has released an issue brief titled, "Paid Leave: Equity in Implementation," based on a series of meetings with state paid family and medical leave administrators to learn how they are assessing and improving equity in access and usage of state paid leave programs. States generally conduct outreach and education to ensure employers understand their responsibilities under the program and the rights of their employees.

The brief provides an overview of paid leave implementation practices for increasing equity that states highlighted during conversations with the Women’s Bureau and examples of the types of actions states with paid leave programs may pursue as they strive to make their programs as equitable as possible.

Paid family and medical leave refers to policies that enable workers to receive wage replacement when they take extended time off work for qualifying reasons. While many workers are entitled to take unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), there is currently no federal law providing or guaranteeing access to paid family and medical leave for workers in the private sector. However, some states have their own paid leave programs and requirements.

State interactions with employers: DOL recommends that state paid leave programs interact with employers to make sure they understand the rights of their employees and employer roles and responsibilities under the paid leave program. States could simplify the employer verification process to avoid delays in issuing benefits.