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To provide context for the discussions with individuals likely to use paid family leave benefits, researchers summarize some of the paid family leave literature. First, they provide an overview of the existing federal and state policies that support leave-taking. Second, they discuss utilization trends associated with state-based paid leave laws. And finally, they delve into barriers to use of these paid leave benefits. Notably, key studies show that awareness of the benefit is low and the primary barriers to use include: concerns about job protection, inability to afford time off, and social stigma associated with leave-taking. Overall, caregivers tended to have more serious reservations about the ability of paid leave policies to address their needs than did parents.

To learn directly from potential users of paid leave benefits in the United States, the researchers' study facilitated several discussions with existing parent and caregiver support groups in California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. These groups served to gauge the public’s awareness of paid leave laws, and to understand perceived benefits and barriers to taking paid leave. In total, researchers conducted seven groups – four caregiver groups and three parent groups – in the three states with existing paid leave laws (California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island). Per the existing literature and from the discussion groups, researchers found that awareness of paid leave benefits was consistently low amongst both parent and caregiver discussion group participants across all three states. However, less than half of the discussion group participants had recently been employed or had a partner who had recently been employed in a setting where they would have learned of the opportunities to take paid leave. Researchers also found that once individuals reviewed information on their state’s paid leave law, they were generally pleased to learn that the benefits were available to them. Participants identified that the time allowed away from work with some income replacement was a benefit that might provide both mental and physical relief for both caregivers and parents. However, caregivers and parents alike identified many potential barriers to utilization such as concern for workplace reprisal, inadequate time-off allowed, and insufficient wage replacement. In particular, caregivers of family members with long-term illnesses worried that existing paid leave benefits were an inadequate solution for the challenges they faced. Participants generally recognized the overall positive impact to both families and employment and were interested in taking advantage of the benefit if the opportunity arose.

Key Takeaways

• Despite documented benefits such as improved labor force outcomes for new parents, decreased stress for families providing care, improved behaviors that support child health, and increased bonding leaves taken for new parents, there is only a patchwork of state and federal laws that support families taking leave to provide care.
• Utilization of paid family leave programs in both California and New Jersey has grown steadily since implementation.
• Despite the increase in paid family leave benefit use in California and New Jersey, researchers have identified several barriers to program participation: lack of awareness, lack of affordability, employer-employee relationship, application process, and social stigma.
• Across all group participants, awareness of paid leave and FMLA is low. There is little variation in awareness across states and groups.
• Across all groups, participants described longer leave times and flexibility as ideal supports.
• Across all groups, participants note time and money as key benefits of their respective states’ paid leave laws.
• Participants noted lack of awareness and limited information about paid leave as key barriers across all groups.
• Across groups, participants identified the scope of benefits as a barrier.

Citation

Tisinger, R., Johnson, M., Hoffman, A., Davis, C., Jean-Baptiste, M., Tanamor, M. (2016). L & M Policy Research. Understanding Attitudes on Paid Family Leave: Discussions with Parents and Caregivers in California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. 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.