Paid Parental Leave Possible for 2.1M Federal Workers

The White House and Congress reportedly have reached a tentative agreement on granting 12 weeks of paid parental leave to 2.1 million civilian federal workers. Military service members already may take 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child. Under the tentative deal, federal civilian workers also could take paid leave to care for a new baby after birth, adoption or the start of foster care, reports The Wall Street Journal. We've gathered articles on paid leave from SHRM Online and other trusted media outlets.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the new benefit, employees must have worked for the federal government for a calendar year and stay at least 12 weeks after the time off. The latter requirement might be waived for a physical or mental impairment that prevents the parent from returning. "This will mark a huge step forward towards making paid leave a reality for all Americans," said Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and senior advisor, who played a pivotal role in negotiating the tentative deal. 

(The Wall Street Journal)

Deal Still Must Be Approved

Many people close to the negotiations emphasized that any final deal still must be approved by Congress and the president. The paid parental leave is reportedly in exchange for making "Space Force" a new branch of the U.S. military and is part of a defense authorization bill that is anticipated to pass this month. 

(The Washington Post)

Bipartisan Paid-Leave Plan Introduced Earlier This Year

A bipartisan paid-leave plan that uses the child tax credit to provide new parents with immediate funds to finance time off from work or to offset the cost of infant care was released for discussion July 24 by U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz. "In many cases, the first year of [a child's] life is the most expensive for a family," Cassidy said in a statement. "This legislation addresses this, focuses resources and eases financial strain to provide a longer bonding period for the family."

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