Читать книгу The Parental Leave Playbook - Sue Campbell - Страница 16

At the time of this writing, most people in the United States do not have access to paid parental leave (in 2020, just 20% of US employees had access to paid family leave through their employer).¹ It is a common misconception that the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides paid leave. FMLA only allows for unpaid job protection for a specific period of time, if an employee meets certain criteria. It is estimated only 56% of the workforce is eligible for FMLA, which means the other 44% receive neither job protection nor pay.² Depending on your state, you may have paid leave through a state and/or local law. You also may be lucky enough to have an employer who voluntarily provides paid parental leave, which is a growing and welcome trend, especially among large companies. The companies I work with are forward-thinking and supportive of their employees, but for most parents in the US, welcoming a child has a serious financial impact.

This is not a policy book and I won't go deeply into policy, but I will cover a few basics in the next section so that you are not caught off guard by anything you run up against. I've been reading the tea leaves on this issue for many years. I believe we are very close to federal legislation that will finally address this grievous oversight in our social safety net and economic infrastructure and help us catch up to almost every other country in the world. However, even with such long-overdue legislation, many challenges will remain—most of them related to perceptions and practices, not policies.

Note: Now is not the time for you to feel responsible for fixing our enormously flawed system (or to feel overwhelmed by it). Now is the time for you to focus inward on what you and your family need and fill your cup. In nourishing yourself in this way, you will ensure you come to the other side of your transition in a position of strength and awareness. Along the way, your success will help make it better for those who come next as, one family at a time, we heal our broken system.