Paid parental leave could make Pennsylvania competitive

IN 2022, THE U.S. SUPREME COURT decision overturning Roe v. Wade did more than just upend reproductive health law. It also made back-burner issues take on more urgency.

If limits on abortion result in more pregnancies, more policies will be required to respond to the resulting children’s needs.

States will need plans to handle more child care.

Schools that have been shrinking in enrollment may see that change, possibly meaning more demands from school districts for buildings and staff. Then there are the requirements of pregnant and postpartum parents who will need to adjust to their newborns.

America has long been behind many other countries when it comes to maternity and paternity leave. Sweden provides 69 weeks at a sliding scale of payment. The United Kingdom gives a year of leave and 39 weeks of pay at 90% of average wage. In Canada, a new mother gets 50 weeks at 55% pay.

But the U.S. is in a small minority of countries that doesn’t provide or require paid leave. Collectively, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Palau have a population half the size of Pittsburgh.

The only other country with no paid parental leave is Papua New Guinea with a population of 10 million — still about 76% Pennsylvania’s population.

So how is this an area where the leader of the free world isn’t leading?

In 1993, the U.S. passed the Family and Medical Leave Act. It gives employees up to 12 weeks off for a list of covered incidents, including childbirth or adoption. The employee must have worked at the company for at least 12 months and the company has to have at least 50 employees to qualify.

Otherwise, the job isn’t guaranteed to be there upon return. And pay is never a guarantee. That’s what vacation time — or a spouse to pick up the slack — is for.

The idea of whether and how to accommodate parental leave has been left to employers in the same way government frequently allows some industries to police themselves. That means 31 years after the Family and Medical Leave Act, many women are still healing from childbirth when they have to go back to work. A 2023 study by human resources company Remote found 15% of workers can’t afford to take the 12 weeks available by law.

States are making their own policies. Oregon has the most generous, with 12 weeks at 100% salary, with several others close to that. Overall, 13 states have their own family leave requirements. South Carolina would be 14th, but its 12-week paid policy refers only to its own employees.

A Pennsylvania bill has support from Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate. Ideally, that would mean good debate, little infighting and quick passage. But as the two chambers have differing ideas about funding, it may devolve without accomplishing anything.

It shouldn’t. Pennsylvania has bemoaned the loss of population to other states and the need to be attractive to employers. Solving the issue of paid parental leave could be a reason for people and companies to come to or stay in the Keystone State.

If the U.S. can’t lead on the issue, Pennsylvania can.