Title: Leaving it to the Family: The Effects of Paid Leave on Adult Child Caregivers
Authors: Brant Morefield, Abby Hoffman, Jeremy Bray, Nicholas Byrd
Posted: July 21, 2016
Abstract: Researchers examined the effects of CA and NJ’s paid-leave laws on leave-taking, employment, and labor force participation rates among individuals likely to be engaged in caregiving for an elderly parent. They found that few individuals used the caregiver benefit in these states, and more broadly, they did not experience any changes in patterns of leave-taking, employment, or labor force participation after their state’s paid leave law was passed. Lack of awareness of both FLI legislation and its availability for caregivers may be an initial hurdle that needs to be cleared in order to increase leave taking by employed caregivers, which may ultimately mitigate negative labor market consequences of providing care. Additionally, the current structures of FLI may not be an appropriate solution for caregivers because of the intermittency, increasing intensity, or the duration of time over which leaves are necessary to provide care for the elderly.
Download the brief: Leaving it to the Family: The Effects of Paid Leave on Adult Child Caregivers
