Continuing his expansive record of legislating fairness for working families, Jim Webb yesterday introduced a bill that would provide four weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees.
Washington, DC - Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) today introduced bipartisan legislation, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, to provide four weeks of paid leave to federal employees for the birth or adoption of a child. Senators Warner, Schumer, Clinton, Schumer, Durbin, Cardin, Mikulski, Kerry, and Sanders serve as original cosponsors of the legislation.The federal government, the country's largest employer with more than 2.7 million employees, does not currently provide any paid parental leave for its employees, while 75% of Fortune 100 companies provide an average of six to eight weeks of paid leave to new mothers. Currently, all federal employees are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave guaranteed to them by the Family and Medical Leave Act, but most can't afford to forego pay to take leave.
"The legislation we introduced today is an issue of fairness for the working family," said Senator Webb. "Paid parental leave will improve recruitment and retention for federal agencies. The federal government should set the standard for family-friendly workplace policy that supports new families."
This is excellent news and shows precisely the kind of progressive legislation that truly values families and rewards work. Moreover, it is precisely the kind of leadership on critical family issues that could never have emerged under Webb's predecessor.