Could workers be getting 12 weeks of paid leave?

President Biden wants workers to be given 12 weeks of paid leave to be phased in over the next 10 years as part of his American Families Plan. Reason: Only about 20% of private sector workers had access to paid family leave in 2020, according to the National Compensation Survey. 

Recovering from pandemic

The AFP is focused on helping families and the country recover from the pandemic. That’s why Biden asked Congress to create and implement a plan that would provide workers with at least part of their earning to:

• take care of a new child
• tend to their or a loved one’s health
• seek asylum from sexual assault, stalking or domestic violence
• deal with the needs of a loved one’s military deployment, and
• grieve the death of a loved one.

Under FMLA guidelines, “family members” are specifically defined, and by using the term “loved one” the AFP looks to expand coverage so workers can take leave for family members and  partners who don’t fit the definition.

While it’s not set in stone, the plan is to provide up to 80% of earning for the lowest paid workers with a $4,000 a month cap.

We’ll keep you posted on updates.

Info: Biden Administration Proposes 12 Weeks of Paid Family Leave

Renee Cocchi

Renée Cocchi has a passion for learning and helping other professionals do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. She earned her Master's Degree from Drexel University, and she’s spent the past few decades working as a writer and editor in the publishing industry. Her experience covers a wide variety of fields from benefits and compensation in HR, to medical, to safety, to business management. Her experience covers trade publications, newsmagazines, and B2B newsletters and websites. When she's not working, she spends her free time just chilling with her family and volunteering at a local dog shelter. Her goal in life is to help all shelter dogs get happy, loving homes!