Paid Paternity Leave
Parental leave is the time off given to parents away from their workplaces to take care of their newborn babies. For a long time, the United States did not have a formula for parents’ payment when they get some time off their work to look after the newborns. It was the only country among the industrialized nations which did not have a pain plan for parental leave. In 2019, a bill was proposed in the senate to have a mandatory paid parental leave for all federal workers in the country (S.920 – New Parents Act of 2019). This issue directly affects the children and families because new parents will have time with their kids in the early days of their lives, which is vital in creating bonds and fostering a good relationship with the child. I would like to explore this in my project so that I can expound on the benefits that will come with paid parental leave for federal workers and the impact it will possibly have in the family.
The policy issue is at the federal level and involves making corrections on an existing Act that only allowed federal workers to go on parental leave without any payment. The new policy will guarantee all federal employees a 12-week mandatory paid parental leave that will give them a peaceful time with their newborn babies (Kelly, 2019). The policy is intended to support both the parents and the child who will be directly impacted once it completes all the processes needed before being signed into law. It has already passed its initial states with the Congress and the Senate voting for it. The only remaining part is the signing of the president to make it law. Once signed, it will take effect from October 2020 henceforth.
Links for the Policy
Kelly, J. (2019). In A Historic Bill, Federal Workers Will Receive 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/12/19/in-a-historic-bill-federal-workers-will-receive-12-weeks-of-paid-parental-leave/#37e9b5562290
S.920 – New Parents Act of 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senatebill/920?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Paid+Parental+Leave%22%5D%7D&s=8&r=7