Jeffrey Sultanik’s Post

“Only about 27% of Americans working in the private sector have access to paid family leave through their employer.” - Bureau of Labor Statistics Yes, you read that right. Less than one third of workers have access to paid family leave. This means less than one third of workers have the ability to bond with their newborn or care for a loved one without fear of losing income or job security. Fortunately, PaidLeave.ai by Moms First has created a platform that simplifies the paid leave application process, offering relevant answers and resources individuals may be eligible for, even if their employer does not offer paid family leave. This is a much-needed step forward. Yet, the question remains: Why do only 27% of working Americans have access to paid family leave? It’s a shockingly low number, and it’s clear we need to do more to ensure all workers have the support they deserve. Let’s work together to make paid leave a reality for everyone. Learn more! https://bit.ly/3UxOTRd #plus one meetings #childcare #childcarebenefits #workingparents #benefits #parents #hr #support #workforce #worklifeintegration #paidleave #familyleave #ai #resources #help

Updates to California's paid family leave benefits to be aware of - keep an eye on this as there may be some questions if a leave starts in 2024 but extends through 2025. https://lnkd.in/etd3pjAq #PFL #CaliforniaPaidLeave #CFRA #PaidLeave #StatePaidLeave #FMLA #PaidLeaveNews #HRNews

HR news update: More working U.S. parents are celebrating their first Mother's Day with access to paid time off for newborns. However, the majority of workers still do not have paid family leave. Currently, only 27% of civilian workers in the U.S. have paid family leave. The lack of paid leave forces families to send newborns to daycare at a very young age and disrupts breastfeeding. Efforts are being made to expand paid parental and family leave, with bipartisan groups in the U.S. Senate and House working on legislation. Those who can least afford to take unpaid time off are the least likely to have access to paid leave, which is a matter of concern. Various states have adopted paid family and medical leave laws, but a federal law is yet to be created. Pennsylvania is considering legislation that would provide up to 20 weeks of paid family leave. Disagreements over funding family leave programs have been a hurdle in passing legislation. However, a bipartisan group in the House is optimistic about introducing legislation this year. Colorado recently implemented paid family and medical leave benefits, but for many families, it came too late. It is high time for the U.S. to adopt a national paid maternity leave policy. Let's hope that the legislation being worked on by bipartisan groups in the Senate and House is passed soon, so that more working parents can celebrate their first Mother's Day with their newborns without worrying about unpaid leave. #PaidFamilyLeave #WorkingParents #MaternityLeave #FamilyLeave

Paid family leave is essential for Hawai'i's workers. For minimal cost to employees and the state, we can guarantee workers 16 weeks of paid time off when medical emergencies arise. That's the kind of policy that shows aloha for Hawai'i's people. #hawaii #paidfamilyleave #economicjustice

📰 Important leave law news from California! Starting in January 2025, California’s paid leave laws (SDI and PFL) are getting a major boost. Currently, most workers receive up to 60% of their income, capped at $1,600 per week. This will increase to 90% for those earning less than $60,000 annually, and up to 70% for those above that threshold. With a median wage of ~$54,000, many Californians will greatly benefit from this update. For new parents, it might make sense to delay baby bonding leave until 2025 to take advantage of the higher rates (eligible within 1 year of birth). Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g3gWifiR #California #PaidFamilyLeave #EmployeeBenefits #CaliforniaLaw #SDI #PFL #HRTech #Aidora #ParentalLeave #MedicalLeave

Last week, we talked about the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA). The newly released guidance document about the NJFLA is a huge help in decoding this law, but for busy business leaders, it would be nice to get some easy-to-digest tips, wouldn’t it? I’ve had people reaching out for more information, so I am here to answer some questions today. Namely, what types of leave the NJFLA covers. The NJFLA allows eligible employees of covered employers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave in a 24-month period for the following reasons: ⭐️ Child-Bonding: To care for or bond with a child – leave must begin within one year of the child’s birth or placement for adoption or foster care; Caregiving: To care for a family member or someone who is the equivalent of family with a serious health condition; ⭐️ Caregiving related to a State of Emergency: During a “state of emergency” (which includes any natural or man-made disaster or emergency that has been declared a “state of emergency” by the President of the United States, the Governor of New Jersey, or a municipal emergency management coordinator): - To care for a family member or someone equivalent to family who is isolated or quarantined due to suspected exposure to a communicable disease, or… - To provide required care or treatment for a child if their school or place of care is closed by order of a public official due to an epidemic of a communicable disease or other public health emergency. And a common question I’ve gotten since last week… Does the NJFLA apply to pregnancy itself and childbirth? Sadly, no. Although the NJFLA provides eligible employees with leave time to care for or bond with the employee’s newborn or newly placed child, it does not provide leave for an employee’s own medical condition… In this case, pregnancy and childbirth. Employees seeking leave to care for their own pregnancy-related disability or recovery from childbirth may take leave under the FMLA, provided they meet eligibility requirements. However, eligible employees may take NJFLA leave to care for a family member with a pregnancy-related disability or who is recovering from childbirth, so there is definitely support for people experiencing pregnancy. Let me know in the comments what other questions you have about the NJFLA, and I can cover that more next week! #PuzzleHR #TopTrendsInHR #Compliance #EmploymentLaw #Policy #Talent #NJFLA #NewJerseyLaw #StateLaw #MedicalLeave #PersonalLeave #FMLA

Yesterday, I got to join Reshma Saujani at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting to announce the national expansion of Paidleave.ai, a first of its kind generative AI tool to help parents access unclaimed state paid family leave benefits. You can read more about the announcement here: https://lnkd.in/ekqamZKy For the past several months, I've been working closely with Moms First to grow Paidleave.ai from a viral pilot in New York to a nationwide platform and case study for how to make government services more accessible. Along the way, I've learned some pretty surprising things: 1 ) Paid leave is one of the best-studied public policy tools to fight poverty and improve maternal and child health outcomes, yet very few organizations are focused on increasing adoption rates. 2) The untold story of paid family leave is at the state level. While there's no federal paid leave, 9 states plus DC have live paid family leave programs and another 4 states will start paying benefits by 2026. 3) Even though paid family leave is widely popular, the adoption rate of state programs is shockingly low. Even in states with well-established programs, only 2-5 percent of eligible workers claim their benefits. 4) Why? Very low awareness, particularly among low to moderate income moms, single moms, and communities of color. And even if families know about the benefit, then navigating the application process is incredibly confusing and complex. 5) AI can be a tool for addressing these barriers - raising awareness for paid family leave and making it easier to apply. In the week after the launch of the New York pilot of Paidleave.ai, there was a 25% increase nationwide in Google searches for "paid leave". Head over to Paidleave.ai to check out the tool, which is now available nationwide, and share it with a mom in your life. And if you're feeling fired up about paid leave, then join Moms First as one of 1.1 M supporters fighting for paid leave, affordable child care, and equal pay. #PaidLeaveAI #PaidFamilyLeave #CGI2024 #Parents #Mom #Mothers #Caregivers

Today my wife tags out and I tag in for 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Got my start as a federal civil servant at the Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor doing comms around (among other things) the need for paid medical and family leave. That eye opening experience not only made me a better communicator, but also a better leader of people, as well as a better father and husband. It is uniquely American to not offer paid leave to new parents. Even countries like North Korea and Saudi Arabia, not exactly bastions of human rights, offer paid leave to their families. (Our 11 nuclear aircraft carriers and F35s are way sweet though!) In fact, the United States is the only developed economy in the World that does not offer paid leave. Thankfully, the trend of offering paid leave is starting to change in America. More fathers are taking paid leave opportunities and that is a terrific trend as well. Present fathers bonding with their children and contributing more in the household only leads to better outcomes for children. Fathers taking leave is also a critical piece of reducing stigma generally. (Hat tip to Jeku Arce and other dads choosing this path full time!) It is also uniquely American in how inequitable access to paid leave is in our country. It is essential that we have a national law ensuring all Americans have access to paid leave. This is needed not just for new parents, but for those caring for sick parents, those addressing their own health, or what often happens, those juggling all three at the same time. As for me, it’s been one massive project to another for the better part of the past 6-7 years. Throw in comms for a global pandemic on top of that. I live and breathe our mission at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and feel lucky to be able to do that. However, that focus ofen means sacrificing time with friends and family. Stepping away for 12 weeks once seemed impossible, but a good friend gone too young and a years long journey for a second child will center and ground a person. Alas, looking forward to having a few months of just being dad spending time bonding with my daughter. It’ll be 12 weeks that will benefit both our lives for years to come. I also hope to see the trend of more American families having access to paid leave continue. We can do it, if we choose to! (And if you need proof we’re raising them right, here is our son reading to his sister and comparing a character to his favorite Detroit Lion, Amon-Ra St. Brown)

What you need to know about paid family leave in the United States: 13 states + Washington D.C. offer some form of paid leave, but we need EVERY state and ALL workers covered. Federally mandated paid family leave would offer every family: 💸 More financial security and less stress 👩🏽💻 Better overall job satisfaction 🛌 Time to recover from childbirth And it could: 📈 Boost the economy and business performance 🟰 Narrow career advancement and gender pay gaps  🫶 Decrease risk of depression in new parents Read more via theSkimm: https://lnkd.in/e2j9E5JZ #paidleave #parentalleave #policy

Don’t give up on benefits of paid family leave Imagine a bot that helps … “The reality is that many people simply give up. These are parents who can barely find a moment to themselves, let alone hours to comb the internet or wait on helplines. It’s no surprise, then, that low-income families, single mothers, and communities of colour are disproportionately impacted by this barrier. These are the exact constituencies that both most need paid family leave and are less likely to have it provided by their employers.” “Worse, when parents give up, they’re often punished for it. If policymakers are looking to cut budgets, they evaluate which programmes are best utilized. If people aren’t taking advantage of paid family leave, those benefits will wind up on the chopping block. The cumulative result is that across the country, nearly one in four new mothers go back to work within two weeks of giving birth.” “That’s why earlier this month, Moms First – a movement to put mothers first in a country that often puts us last – rolled out PaidLeave.ai, a tool to help New York parents access their paid leave benefits. We hope, one day, to expand it across the entire country.” Read on … https://lnkd.in/emkB4J72