The 1993 federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for qualifying employees. While workers at some companies are able to cover a portion of their pay during their leave, the vast majority do so by using their employers’ short-term disability insurance.
While federal budget proposals discussed earlier this year included funding for six weeks of paid leave for new mothers and fathers, and a proposal in the House has endorsed “workflex” options, newly passed Tax Reform legislation did not address the issue. With first-daughter Ivanka Trump promoting paid family leave throughout the 2016 campaign, and mid-term elections approaching, we are sure to hear more about this later in the year.