The dismal state of paid — and unpaid — leave in America

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which guarantees most workers 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a child, a sick family member, or themselves, if they fall ill.

The Family and Medical Leave Act, also known as FMLA, was passed in 1993 and was a revolutionary policy: Until then, workers had no guaranteed protections if they needed time off after having a baby or to recover from an illness. That legislation, however, still left out millions of workers, including part-time employees and those who work at small businesses — a 2018 Labor Department survey found that 44 percent of workers aren’t covered by it. Many of the bill’s gaps still exist, and there remains no paid leave program at the federal level.

There has been some progress, however. In the years since the passage of the FMLA, 11 states and Washington, DC, have approved their own paid leave policies, and some states have also offered more extensive unpaid leave options. A higher proportion of workers than in 1993 also now have paid leave via their employers, and research from Health Affairs and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research has found that such programs have improved kids’ health outcomes and boosted women’s retention in the workforce.

Today, lawmakers are still pushing to advance a comprehensive federal bill on the issue, though the current state of divided government means it will be difficult to do so. Last year, Congress failed to approve paid family and sick leave due to opposition from both Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Republicans.