About the Brief

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The brief uses data from the 2018 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Employee Survey and Worksite Survey to summarize findings on employee access to paid leave benefits, pay received while on leave for a family or medical reason, pay and unmet need for leave. It also describes variation in findings between states that do and do not offer paid family and medical leave.

Key Takeaways

• Almost three-quarters (73%) of employees have (at least some) paid leave available for their own serious illness.
• More than two-fifths of U.S. employees who took leave in the past 12 months received full pay for their entire leave (42%).
• The majority of employees who received pay while on leave used sick leave (70%) or vacation (60%).
• Receiving (at least some) pay while on leave was more common in paid leave states.
• About one in six employees who received partial or no pay while on leave (17%) received public assistance while on leave.
• About 7 percent of employees report needing but not taking leave for a qualifying FMLA reason in the past 12 months.
• Two-thirds (66%) of employees who did not take needed family and medical leave in the past 12 months reported they did not do so because they could not afford unpaid leave.

Citation

Brown, S., Herr, J., Roy, R., Klerman, J.A. (2020). Abt Associates. Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the FMLA: Paid Leave. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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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 and CEO’s research development process.