Under Democrats' 4-week proposal, the U.S. would still be a global 'outlier' when it comes to paid leave

Democrats are now considering cutting the paid leave portion of their party's yet-to-be-passed trillion-dollar spending package from 12 weeks to four, meaning that, should a federal policy come to fruition, the U.S. — currently one of six countries in the world without any form of national paid leave — would still be an outlier, reports The New York Times.
Of the 185 counties that offer national paid maternity leave, "only one, Eswatini (once called Swaziland), offers fewer than four weeks," writes the Times. And of the 174 countries that offer paid leave for personal health reasons, only 26 offer four weeks or fewer.
A month-long policy "would also be significantly less than the 12 weeks of paid parental leave given to federal workers in the United States, and less than the leave that has been passed in nine states and [Washington, D.C.]."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"12 weeks is a modest amount, and anything less is grossly inadequate," UCLA Public Health and Public Affairs Professor Jody Heymann told the Times. "The rest of the world, including low-income countries, have found a way to do this." Globally, average paid maternity and paternity leave is 29 weeks and 16 weeks, respectively, per UCLA's World Policy Analysis Center.
The one facet of the current paid leave proposal that puts the U.S. "at the forefront internationally" is "its very broad definition of family and caregiving," notes the Times. The policy, if implemented, would cover care for "all types of loved ones," including in-laws, partners, and those who are the "equivalent" of family.
As to when this might come to pass, the White House is hoping to "reach at least a framework agreement with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.)" on the spending package legislation — which will hopefully include a leave proposal — before the end of the month, if not sooner, writes Politico.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
June 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's golden comb-over, brain drain in America, and a new TACO presidential seal.
-
5 cartoons about the TACO trade
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on America's tariffs, Vladimir Putin waiting for taco Tuesday, and a new presidential seal
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges