Experience With Paid Family Leave Grows.

• Author: Brainerd, Jackson
• Position: TRENDS

Expect a few states to have lively debates this year over job-protected paid family leave and whether to require employers to provide it to workers caring for newborns or seriously ill family members.

California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington and the District of Columbia have paid leave laws. But only California, New Jersey and Rhode Island have enough experience with the benefit to provide some data.

New York's 2016 paid leave law took effect in January this year. A universal paid leave measure became law in Washington, D.C., in February 2017 and will take effect on July 1, 2020. And Washington state's law, passed in July 2017, takes effect at the start of 2020.

Lawmakers in at least 19 states proposed legislation to establish paid family leave programs in 2017. Several states carried over those proposals into this year, and a few have introduced new ones.

Lawmakers in at least 19 states proposed legislation to establish paid family leave programs in 2017. Several states carried over those proposals into this year, and a few have introduced new ones.

In all three states, women file the most paid leave claims, usually to care for newborns. Low-income workers file claims at a lower rate than high-income workers, and employees of large companies tend to file more claims than those from smaller firms.

Researchers speculate that low-income workers might participate less often because the benefits offered aren't robust enough to support time off. And a lack of awareness might explain the lower rates of participation among employees of smaller firms.

In a survey of Rhode Island employees who experienced life events that qualified them for paid leave, only 51.4 percent knew...