The FAMILY Act, which was proposed in 2017 and would have provided 12 weeks of paid leave for family and personal medical needs, is being reintroduced in Congress this year. In the meantime, it’s important to know what’s happening on the state level. Some states, including Washington and Massachusetts, will have new state-mandated policies going into effect in 2020 and 2021. Elsewhere, the legislatures in 21 other states have introduced some type of paid family and medical leave bill. Other states, such as New York and California, already have family leave programs in place, but are proposing expansions—including extending the duration of benefits, the amount of benefits received, and/or definitions of family members for which workers can take leave. States are interested in what employers have to say; and many are working directly with state legislators and/or with their state/national trade associations. Read the full article.
