A new study on paid family and medical leave by the Pew Research Center shows American workers want access to paid time off for family or medical events. But even if they have access, many workers don’t a;ways feel secure to take the leave.

 

On the whole, Americans appreciate paid time off after a child is born or is adopted, if they have a medical issue that requires time off, or if they need time to care for an ill family member. But many study respondents disagreed on who should absorb the cost and just how reliable the system was.

 

Despite many calls to elevate the United States’ paid leave policy to that of other countries, respondents were divided over if the government should mandate access to paid leave. Only 51 percent thought that the government should mandate time off in those circumstances while the remaining 48 percent thought employers should be able to decide whether or not to offer employees that benefit.

 

In general, most people believe that paid family and medical leave is beneficial, with 82 percent believing the benefit should be available to new moms and 69 percent believing new dads should have the option. And if the government mandates the policy, 73 percent said they believed it should be available to both mothers and fathers (only 26 percent thought it should be for new moms only).

 

The United States stacks up woefully behind many other countries in offering paid parental leave to workers who have just had a child or adopted a child. According to another Pew study, the United States ranks last out of 41 countries in paid leave policy.

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But industries are taking notice. Many respondents, while acknowledging that paid family leave was more beneficial to families and individuals than to businesses, said they thought offering the benefit would attract more quality works and also help retain them.

 

No matter where you work, according to a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation study, larger firms tend to offer more access to paid family and medical leave. But the Pew study asserts that many workers don’t take the time even if they are able to for reasons ranging from fear of losing their job to overwhelming job demands.

 

Those in lower income brackets were much less likely to receive or take paid family leave. Nearly one-third of those with household incomes of $30,000 or less said they were unable to take leave within the past two years although they wanted to, while only 14 percent of those with households of income above that level reported the same.

 

The study reveals that American workers, while they might support this leave, aren’t always able to, don’t always have access to it, or feel there might be career repercussions if they take the leave.

 

What do you think about paid family or medical leave for American workers?

Julia Quinn-Szcesuil
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