Obama proposes plan for paid family leave

(Special to the NNPA from The Washington Informer) — President Obama has signed a directive which allows agencies to provide six weeks of advanced sick leave for federal employees to care for newborn children.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, just 12 percent of American workers receive paid family leave, and only 61 percent have paid sick leave.

“Men and women both need time to care for their families and should have access to workplace flexibilities that help them succeed at work and at home,” states the memorandum, which Obama signed Thursday. “Offering family leave and other workplace flexibilities to parents can help achieve the goals of recruiting and retaining talent, lowering costly worker turnover, increasing employee engagement, boosting employee morale, and ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce.

President Obama looks at a selfie with restaurant staff at Charmington’s Café in North Baltimore, Md., on Jan. 15. The president stopped at the
restaurant to promote his proposal to guarantee paid sick leave for American workers.
(Pete Souza/The White House

“Yet, the United States lags behind almost every other country in ensuring some form of paid parental leave to its federal workforce; we are the only developed country in the world without it,” continues the memorandum, which also offers the chance for women to recuperate after giving birth, even if they haven’t earned enough sick leave. It will also provide leave for spouses and partners to help out during the recuperation.

Employees who are bringing a foster child into their home will also be eligible for advanced annual leave.

This article originally published in the January 26, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.