Sanjana Samudrala

November 1, 2022

As citizens one of the only Western countries that doesn’t have guaranteed paid leave, American workers are struggling to endure the grueling hours of their job and excessive work to complete. Imagine how draining this would be while trying to take care of a baby.

The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) and a small portion of the Build Back Better Act have both attempted to introduce paid leave in the United States. FEPLA includes up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees. It may be used between the time of birth to 1 year of the baby. However, FEPLA has a few shortcomings. First, the employer must agree in writing before commencement of leave, giving large amount of power to one’s superior on whether they can take time off to spend with your family. In the Build Back Better Act, there was a small portion in there that included up to 12-weeks of paid parental leave, but this was later reduced to 4 weeks. Despite those introductions, there is no guaranteed leave for people who are introducing a new member into their family.  

Many countries across the world have systems in place that provide above average paid parental leave for their people. ⁷Sweden provides up to 68 weeks of paid leave, allowing parents the time to spend with their children when they’re most vulnerable. They also mandate 90 days of nontransferable paid leave to encourage more men to take time off. Japan, as well, is trying to encourage more fathers to take time off to spend with their newborns. The UK provides 90% of a parent’s salary during their first 6 weeks, and the rest at a lower rate. All of these countries provide effective forms of paid parental leave, encouraging both parents to spend the time they need with their children.

Therefore, I propose that America also implements paid parental leave at the federal level. The legislation would include the following:

• Entails up to 68 weeks of paid leave
  • That’s 480 days of paid time off for a single parent or 240 days/34 weeks of paid time off for two parents
  • About 80% of their salary (with a cap), plus bonus days for twins
• Allows paid leave to be transferred between parents
  • This allows families to make the best out of their leave by giving them the opportunity to use it as they see fit
• Maintains a standard 90 days of paid leave that is nontransferable to their partner
  • This is supposed to ensure that fathers take advantage of paid leave to spend time with their family

Unfortunately, paid parental leave has been received negatively by both Democrats and Republicans. Some responses have been that it’s too costly, we should have maternity leave only, and that it incentivizes people not to go back to work. However, the data suggests otherwise.

A study conducted by economist Christopher J. Ruhm suggests that paid leave leads to healthier babies who have better outcomes later in life. This enables mothers to stay better connected to the workforce, which leads to higher earnings. ¹One study about maternity leave and the effects on children’s health in the long-term states that “legislative change generated positive long-term health effects.” The benefits of this legislative change are fewer hospital admission and lower likelihoods of mental and behavioral disorder diagnosis. ²Another study that analyzed parental leave and child health found that “[m]ore generous paid leave is found to reduce deaths of infants and young children.” The study concludes “that parental leave may be a cost-effective method of bettering child health.” Those who argue that paid parental leave is too costly should consider that healthy children are good for the economy, and parents with healthy children will be able to focus more on their jobs, which also disproves the argument that paid leave disincentives people to return to their jobs. ⁴

Although the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it doesn’t rank that high in health. America has consistently had the highest infant mortality rates (compared to other high-income countries), in which “American children are less likely to live to age 5.” Paid parental leave could be a steppingstone in improving these numbers. American health is something that has been going down, ⁸as one study points out that “the self-rated health of Americans…started to take a downward turn,” and not enough has been done about it at both the federal level and among the healthcare field. Specifically, maternal and child health has been underserved by the government, and numerous studies, such as the one conducted by Christopher Ruhm, show that we need to do more about it.

Benefits from paid leave are not just exclusive to the mother and child. ⁵GOP lawmakers, such as Representative James Comer, argue that paid leave, especially for men, is going to cause the downfall of America. There are many other Republican representatives that argue the same thing, questioning why we need paternity leave. ⁶Psychologist Ashley Schappell D’Inverno points out that paid parental leave, including paternity leave, can “increase gender equality when fathers have more time to participate in child care duties,” among a slew of other benefits. As a child of two parents, I always like to say that kids don’t need a mother or a father, they need a parent. Children need that time to bond and build a connection with their parents; paid parental leave gives parents that opportunity to bond with their children. Parents, regardless of gender, should be able to spend time with their kids, which is why it is so important to introduce paid maternity and paternity leave at the federal level.

Moving away from health, paid leave also benefits the American economy in many ways. ³Research on the impact of paid family leave on household savings also has promising results. Household savings can be used in two ways: one can either spend it or save it. Both can be beneficial in a growing economy. Spending household savings increases the flow of money in the economy, allowing it to continue growing. Instead of spending, saving can increase wealth in the household, allowing the family to put the money elsewhere – such as in their bank, retirement plans, etc. – as they see fit. A study conducted by Luke P. Rogers, an assistant professor of economics at Florida State University, highlights how paid leave can either increase or decrease household savings, “depending on labor supply flexibility assumptions.” However, the study specifically “present[s] evidence that the introduction of PFL in California reduced the savings of expectant parents relative to different comparison groups,” meaning that families were spending money and increasing the flow of money in the economy. This study is very important in the sense that it points out how paid leave brings more money for families to use as they see fit. It allows them to spend on necessities and to not stress about income while trying to take care of a newborn. More money for families, coupled with the time off to spend time with their family, can really help a parent prioritize their family, especially their child who needs that constant attention at such a vulnerable age.

Although many have reservations about paid parental leave, studies have proven its benefits, especially in regard to both child health and the economy, two factors that are extremely important in America. It is so important to address how demanding jobs have become, and how not giving adequate paid leave is detrimental to American society. Paid parental leave at the federal level would benefit so many people who want to balance having both a family and a career, which in turn would increase the wellbeing of society. It is a start to a better and brighter future – one that many people across America truly need.

¹Fabel, Marc. “Maternity Leave and Children’s Health Outcomes in the Long-Term.” Journal of Health Economics. North-Holland, January 19, 2021. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629621000163. 

⁷Francis, Ellen, Helier Cheung, and Miriam Berger. “How Does the U.S. Compare to Other Countries on Paid Parental Leave? Americans Get 0 Weeks. Estonians Get More than 80.” The Washington Post. WP Company, November 11, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/11/global-paid-parental-leave-us/#DT4K4KWNMNAYFDZ5UGBLPTVPYM-1. 

⁸Muennig, Peter A, Megan Reynolds, David S Fink, Zafar Zafari, and Arline T Geronimus. “America’s Declining Well-Being, Health, and Life Expectancy: Not Just a White Problem.” American journal of public health. American Public Health Association, December 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6221922/. 

³Rodgers, Luke P. “The Impact of Paid Family Leave on Household Savings.” Labour Economics. North-Holland, September 18, 2020. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927537120301251. 

²Ruhm, Christopher J. “Parental Leave and Child Health.” Journal of Health Economics. North-Holland, September 11, 2000. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629600000473. 

⁴“Summary – U.S. Health in International Perspective – NCBI Bookshelf.” Accessed October 18, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK154469/. 

⁶“The Urgent Necessity for Paid Parental Leave.” Monitor on Psychology. American Psychological Association. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/04/feature-parental-leave. 

⁵Willis, Oliver. “GOP Lawmaker Says Giving Fathers Paid Leave Would ‘Ruin’ America.” The American Independent, October 14, 2021. https://americanindependent.com/gop-lawmaker-james-comer-giving-fathers-paid-leave-would-ruin-america-family-workers-employees-sick-days/. 

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