On April 4, 2016, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the most generous paid family leave policy in the United States: up to 12 weeks paid time off for new parents (this includes men, women, adoptive parents and foster parents); individuals who need to take care of a family member with a serious medical condition; or to relieve family pressures when a family member (including a spouse, domestic partner, child or parent) is called to active military service. It comes one week after California raised its minimum wage to $15 by 2022. Paid leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition includes leave to care for a child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, spouse or domestic partner.
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“It is unrealistic to expect a worker who is already living paycheck to paycheck on 100 percent of their salary to use a program for 6 weeks at almost half of their wages”, Gomez in a statement.
Before today’s bill signing, California workers could have 55% of their wages reimbursed for up to six weeks.
In 2002, California became the first state in the nation to establish a paid family leave program.
California’s program is funded through worker contributions, and is administered by the state Employment Development Department (EDD).
“We want to do as much as we can, in a creative way, to make sure that everybody has a decent life”, the governor said before signing Assembly Bill 908.
The program will apply to all parents who take off time from work to bond with a child within one year of birth, adoption or placement as a foster child.
There was little opposition voiced in the state Legislature. Business groups like the California Chamber of Commerce had opposed Senate Bill 406, warning it would cost employers money and expose them to lawsuits.
“Whether or not that’s the case, the fact that these paid leave dollars were drawn from a fund to which the employees, not the employers, contribute tells us our members would not bear the burden of this cost”, he said. New Jersey and Rhode Island provide partial pay for up to six weeks.
Today’s action builds upon the Governor’s commitment to supporting California’s working families.
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Last week, NY set a new national standard with 12-week paid leave, and the City of San Francisco voted on a groundbreaking paid leave policy to provide full wage replacement.
