A new state-by-state analysis released near the 23rd anniversary of the day the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) took effect shows that few states have expanded upon the FMLA’s unpaid leave protections or adopted other supports to assist expecting and new parents who are employed. And NH fares worse than most states, being one of 15 states to receive a D. In total, every New England state and 24 states nationwide fared better than NH.
Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help Expecting and New Parents analyzes state laws and regulations governing paid leave and other workplace rights for expecting and new parents in the United States. It includes laws governing both private sector and public sector state employees. Considerations to grade states included flexibility to use of sick time, paid maternity leave, paid sick leave, access to private rooms to express milk, parental leave and pregnancy accommodations.
The study found that Seventy-two percent of woman are employed at some point before giving birth to their first child and among women who hold full-time jobs during pregnancy, 59 percent return to work within three months of giving birth.
The analysis was conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families. California is the only state to receive an “A.” The District of Columbia and New York earn grades of “A-” and 11 states earn grades of “B.” However, 10 states earn grades of “C,” 15 states earn grades of “D,” and 12 states receive grades of “F” for failing to enact a single workplace policy to help expecting or new parents.
“Despite some meaningful progress, too many working families in this country struggle at the very time they should be focused on giving children their best possible starts in life. Twenty-three years after the country took its first major step to help people manage job and family by implementing a national unpaid family and medical leave law, our new study reveals that people in too few states are guaranteed access to paid leave and other workplace protections they urgently need,” said Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership.
Current Issue - May 2024