Bill Offers Eight Weeks' Parental Leave for Feds

By ARI PAUL

Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation July 25 that would grant paid parental leave to all Federal employees.

CAROLYN MALONEY: `Feds should lead way.'

Government employees would be entitled to eight weeks of paid leave if the bill was passed and signed into law.

Sees Unfair Choice

"The Federal Government may refer to its leave policies as 'family-friendly,' but the reality is that it's forcing many of its employees to choose between their paycheck and their new child," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who represents parts of Manhattan and Queens, said in a statement. "Antiquated family leave policies are also a talent drain on the government - they're an incentive for skilled people to look elsewhere for work at the very time when our government needs them most. The Federal Government should be leading the way and providing its employees with a truly family-friendly workplace."

Joining Congresswoman Maloney in support were Reps. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) and Tom Davis (R-Va.). The trio introduced a similar piece of legislation last year that would have given Federal employees six weeks of paid parental leave.

Congresswoman Maloney's statement asserted that 53 percent of employees in the private sector receive some sort of paid parental leave.

"Parental leave is the norm in most industrialized nations and most leading U.S. companies," Congressman Davis said in a statement. "Our government is in the midst of a human capital crisis, and this legislation is one way to address that problem." The House Government Oversight and Reform Committee, on which Congresswoman Maloney sits, must approve the bill for it to move forward. She did not expect there to be action on the bill until autumn, a spokeswoman said.