The Department of Labor (DOL) supports various policies and programs directly related to worker leave-taking, as well as administration of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
The Chief Evaluation Office’s (CEO) evaluations and rigorous research in this topic area help inform a diverse set of stakeholders seeking high-quality information about worker leave policies and practices, including employers administering leave benefits and American workers interested in their leave-taking rights and responsibilities.
Explore CEO's current studies, completed reports, and public use data on worker leave.
Completed Reports
Microsimulation Model on Worker Leave
(October 2023)
FMLA Eligibility of Underserved Communities
(February 2022)
This study was done as part of CEO’s Summer Data Challenge on Equity and Underserved Communities, and was produced outside of CEO’s standard research development process.
Microsimulation Model on Worker Leave
(March 2021)
2018 Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the Family and Medical Leave Act National Surveys
(August 2020)
Worker Leave Simulation Analysis Project
(January 2017)
- Estimating Usage and Costs of Alternative Policies to Provide Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States
- Estimating Usage and Costs of Alternative Policies to Provide Paid Sick Days in the United States
- Estimating the Distributional Impacts of Alternative Policies to Provide Paid Sick Days in the United States
- Family and Medical Leave-Taking among Older Workers
- Paid Leave and Employment Stability of First-Time Mothers
- Qualifying for Unpaid Leave: FMLA Eligibility among Working Mothers
- The Effects of FMLA Eligibility and Awareness on Family Leave-Taking
Understanding Attitudes on Paid Family Leave: Discussions with Parents and Caregivers in California, New Jersey and Rhode Island
(Final Report, July 2016)
Leaving it to the Family: the Effects of Paid Leave on Adult Child Caregivers
(Final Report, July 2016)
Paid Family Leave, Fathers' Leave Taking, and Leave-Sharing in Dual-Earner Households
(Final Report, November 2015)
California's Paid Family Leave Law: Lessons from the First Decade
(Final Report, June 2014)
Family and Medical Leave in 2012
(September 2012)
Public Use Data
2018 Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the Family and Medical Leave Act National Surveys
Public Use File Documentation Guide
2018 FMLA Employee Survey
- Employee SAS data set (.sas7bdat)
- Employee SAS formats (.sas7cdat)
- Employee Stata data set (.dta)
Codebook
- Employee Codebook (.xlsx)
- Employee Codebook (.pdf)
SAS/STATA Programs
- Employee SAS read in program to assign formats (.sas)
- Employee SAS sample code (.sas)
- Employee Stata sample code (.do)
2018 FMLA Worksite Survey
- Worksite SAS data set (.sas7bdat)
- Worksite SAS formats (.sas7cdat)
- Worksite Stata data set (.dta)
Codebook
- Worksite Codebook (.xlsx)
- Worksite Codebook (.pdf)
SAS/STATA Programs
- Worksite SAS read in program to assign formats (.sas)
- Worksite SAS sample code (.sas)
- Worksite Stata sample code (.do)
Family and Medical Leave Act Surveys (2012)
- Documentation
- Data File - Employee (.dta)
- Data File - Employee (.sas7bdat)
- Data File - Worksite (.dta)
- Data File - Worksite (.sas7bdat)
Find more research in DOL’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR).
Labor Research Scholars and Grants
DOL and CEO fund grants and awards to support academic research that build evidence on labor issues important to the department. Read more about each research program and explore the final reports and datasets.
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.