House Committee Advances Bill to Expand Federal Employee Paid Leave
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n July, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform narrowly advanced a bill that would expand paid leave options for the federal workforce. The Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act, H.R. 564, introduced by Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, would broaden the list of conditions for which federal employees are eligible for paid leave, including paid family and medical leave. As with all Americans, under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) federal employees are entitled to 12 weeks of leave for the birth, adoption or foster care of a child; the
care of an immediate family member with a serious health condition; the inability to work because of a serious health issue; or conditions caused by an immediate family member’s active-duty service in the military. However, out of those situations listed, Feds are only eligible for paid leave in connection with the birth, adoption or foster care of a child, commonly referred to as paid parental leave. The other conditions only qualify for unpaid leave. H.R. 564 would expand eligibility for paid leave for all the conditions covered by the FMLA and extend parental
leave coverage to U.S. Postal Service employees, who were not included in previously passed paid parental leave legislation. During the committee debate, lawmakers had heated discussions about the necessity of a paid leave program. Maloney depicted the importance of paid leave in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic, arguing, “Federal employees should not have to deplete their sick or annual leave because of Congress’ unwillingness to provide paid leave to deal with longer-term hardships,” adding, “after more than a year of a global pandemic, why would we accept policies that actually create an incentive SEE LEAVE ON P. 12
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