U.S. Department of Labor Seeks Public Input on Effectiveness And Impact of Paid Family Leave on Women and Families

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Request for Information regarding the impact of paid family and medical leave on America’s workforce.

Specifically, the Department’s Women’s Bureau is requesting comment on the effectiveness of current state- and employer-provided paid leave programs and the impact that access or lack of access to paid leave programs has on women and their families. The information provided will help the Department identify promising practices related to eligibility requirements, related costs and administrative models of existing paid leave programs.

“Expanding workplace flexibility has long been a priority of the Women’s Bureau. Paid leave may also be valuable in enhancing the upward mobility of women workers and the well-being of American families,” said Women’s Bureau Director Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith. “The Women’s Bureau is interested in hearing from employers, employees, and other interested parties about the impact of various types of paid leave programs for employees of different income levels and employers of different sizes.”

This information-gathering effort will help the Department and the public identify promising practices related to eligibility requirements, related costs, administrative models of existing paid leave programs and access to information about paid leave.

The Request for Information’s comment period will remain open for 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Instructions for submitting comments to the Federal Register are included in its FAQs.

Now marking the 100th anniversary of its creation on June 5, 1920, by Public Law No. 66-259, the Women’s Bureau’s mission is to formulate standards and policies that shall promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency and advance their opportunities for profitable employment. Learn more about the bureau.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.