Employee Benefit News for School, City and County Employers

National Paid Family and Medical Leave Program Proposed

Written by Erin Woulfe | Mar 20, 2024 11:40:49 AM

1 minute read

President Biden proposed fiscal year 2025 budget includes a national paid family and medical leave program.

 

Paid Family and Medical Leave

Biden’s budget aims to establish a national paid family and medical leave program administered by the Social Security Administration. It offers up to 12 weeks of leave for eligible workers for family or medical reasons, including caring for a new child, a loved one, or oneself, addressing military deployment circumstances, and seeking safety from violence. Additionally, the program would provide three days for grieving and uses an inclusive family definition.

 

Paid Sick Leave

The president is urging Congress to mandate that employers offer all employees seven paid sick days annually, with job protection. Additionally, the budget aims to prevent employers from penalizing workers for taking time off to tend to their own or their families' health needs or for safe leave.

 

Background

Biden's national paid leave proposal, part of a budget plan requiring congressional approval, aims to address the lack of access to paid family leave for the majority of American workers, especially among low-income workers, women, and workers of color. Ninety-four percent lack access to paid family leave through their employers and as many as 1 in 5 retirees leave the workforce early to care for an ill family member. Download the bulletin for more details.