Expanded Paid Family Leave for Federal Workers, by Dennis Snoozy

dennis snoozy
March 20, 2021

Last month, it was revealed that House Democrats would support federal employees by expanding paid leave benefits. Two years ago, lawmakers introduced the paid parental leave program, and now Democrats want to build on this success.

Essentially, the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act allows all federal workers to take 12 weeks of paid leave in a single year. Rep. Carolyn Maloney introduced this from the House Oversight and Reform Committee. As well as the US Postal Service, one of the best features of the Act is the inclusion of the legislative branch.

Among other things, the new Act would apply to those who need to care for family members, who were ill themselves, or who need to help those involved in active military duty.

When talking to reporters, Maloney said that dealing with personal illness and helping family members is just a fact of life. While some people deal with their own struggles, others care for elderly relatives. In either case, she said that employees should be able to meet these needs without worrying about punishment or getting fired from the workplace. As the largest employer in the United States, Maloney believes that the federal government should always set the right example to all other employers around the country.

Back in 2019, it was Maloney again fighting for the federal employee paid leave system. Unfortunately (for employees), the original plan caused conflict with Senate Republicans. After discussions, the final plan was reduced to 12 weeks of paid leave for adoption, birth, or fostering.

Everybody knows that the federal government is around the corner from a potential disaster, with as many as one-third of all federal employees within one year of retirement eligibility. With this in mind, Rep. Gerry Connolly believes that this new measure is a necessity. To prevent losing talented workers to the private sector, it needs to offer comparable benefits.

Although good news for federal workers, it does raise questions about benefits available in the public and private sectors. If we look to big companies like Twitter, all employees are already allowed paid family leave of 16 weeks. During the pandemic, this has proved pivotal and has made private employment look even more attractive to workers. If the government can’t recruit new talent and current workers are retiring, a recruitment crisis is almost inevitable.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees National, says that this isn’t a new problem. Every year, thousands of federal workers try to maintain the balance between work and caring for others. Without paid leave, many members of the union are struggling to cope. Choosing between loved ones and work is a common debate, and Kelley believes 12 weeks of paid leave to be the lifeline that thousands need.

With a simple search online, you’ll find many stories of people having to take unpaid leave just to deal with serious health concerns. In recent years, pressure has been growing to deal with the issue, especially as the government struggles to keep hold of talent (and attract it in the first place!). In one case, an individual needed a kidney transplant and was forced back to work quickly to avoid unpaid leave.

Maloney is certainly putting in some important work for all federal workers, and we hope that benefits continue to improve. Paid leave is a great start, and its benefits like this will help the government avoid a recruitment crisis as older workers retire in their masses.