Paid Family Leave

By LeighAnn Coleman

Introduction
Workers sometimes need to take time
off to care for themselves and their
loved ones.

Unfortunately, many people find that

taking unpaid time off to meet these
needs places a severe economic burden
on themselves and their families.

Who Gets to Use Paid Family Leave?

Workers around the world are allowed partial or full pay leave each year while
taking time off from work to:

o Bond with a newborn baby, adopted or foster child

o Care for a seriously ill parent, child, or spouse

History of Paid Family Leave

The first recorded policy involving working pregnant women was in 1877 in Switzerland.
Then in 1878 Germany issued a policy. Many countries began to follow their example such as:
Austria 1885, Belgium 1889, Netherlands 1889, and Denmark 1892.

Then in 1906 Norway became the first country to provide paid leave for mothers.

Stats of Paid Family Leave Through Out The

World
Currently Sweden is providing the
most with 16 months of full paid
leave.

Papua New Guinea and America

are the only 2 developed countries
that still do not provide mandatory
paid family leave.

Americas Stand on The Issue

Awareness on this issue dropped
from 42.7% in 2011 to 35.7% in
2015.

Studies show that the people who

need paid family leave the most (in
California), know the least about it
and that they can qualify to use it.

Benefits and Consequences

Perks
Being able to take care of family
Financial stability during that time
Increase in worker morale
Less people dropping out of the
workforce

Consequences
Mild pay loss
Taxes may increase
Small businesses might suffer
Possibly a loss of jobs

What is The Government Doing About The

Issue
Since 2002, California has been offering paid
family leave up to 6 weeks for both moms
and dads.

In 2009, New Jersey also offered 6 weeks of

paid leave.

In 2014, Rhode Island became the third state

to offer paid leave and the first to offer only
4 weeks.

On January 26, 2015, the Democratic party,

backed by President Obama, introduced a

new act allowing federal employees 6 weeks
of paid family leave.

What You Can Do

To let your opinion be heard contact your local representative.

Rebecca Chavez-Houck
Representative of Salt Lake City
Email: rchouck@le.utah.gov
Phone: 801-891-9292

Rich Cunningham
Representative of South Jordan
Email: rcunningham@le.utah.gov
Phone: 801-568-0614

Daniel McCay
Representative of Bluffdale
Email: dmccay@le.utah.gov
Phone: 801-810-4110

Earl D. Tanner
Representative of West Jordan
Email: earltanner@le.utah.gov
Phone: 801-538-2021

Work Cited

Cesifo Dice Database For Institutional Comparisons In Europe. Parental Leave Entitlements: Historical Perspective (around 1870-2014)
(2014): 1-31. Web.

Crow, Sarah. "Do You Know about Paid Family Leave? Lots of Californians Don't." Next Generation. Next Generation. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Let's Get With The (Paid Leave) Program. Digital image. Still No Paid Leave For New Parents On Mother's Day (INFOGRAPHIC). National
Partnership for Women and Families, 10 May 2013. Web. 31 July 2015.

Matteo, Anna. "Will the US Pay Workers for Family Leave?" VOA. VOA, 7 Mar. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Today News 6. "Obama Backs Family-friendly Work..." YouTube. YouTube, 23 June 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

"Utah State Legislature." District Map. Utah State Legislation, 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

"What Is Paid Family Leave? | Paid Family Leave." What Is Paid Family Leave? | Paid Family Leave. Paid Family Leave, 2015. Web. 13 Oct.
2015.

WORLD Policy Analysis Center at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Is Paid Leave Available for Mothers of Infants? Digital image.
Why Does the U.S. Lag behind in Its Family Leave Laws? PBS, 14 Aug. 2014. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

Zeilinger, Julie. "Sweden Has an Amazing New Parental Leave Policy, and the US Should Take Note." Mic. Mic, 1 June 2015. Web. 13 Oct.
2015.