Explainer: Paid and Unpaid Leave Policies in the United States
A short primer on private-sector workers’ access and use of federal unpaid leave through the FMLA and an introduction to state programs.
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Big ideas, bold solutions. Explore the latest research, analysis, and policy insights from our experts.
Explainer: Paid Leave Benefits and Funding in the United States
A short primer on state paid family and medical leave programs across 13 states and Washington, DC.
Virginia’s New Paid Leave Law Closes the Loop Between Implementation and Policy
With a new paid leave law, Virginia has hardcoded critical implementation lessons learned from other paid leave programs across the country.
Not All Paid Leave Policies Are Equal
A new report concludes that newer voluntary, optional paid leave policies in several states are not leading to coverage.
Closer to the Pain, Closer to Solutions: On Paid Leave, States Are Showing Us the Way
National paid family and medical leave is the goal, but in the meantime, state policy innovations and improvements provide evidence and hope
Explainer: The FAMILY Act of 2025
Key parameters in the FAMILY Act, a comprehensive paid leave bill, would help to provide the financial stability people need.
Paid Leave in 2025: Three Crucial Battlegrounds for Working People and Families
Vicki Shabo offers a peek at what’s ahead for paid leave in 2025, highlighting three key areas to watch in an unpredictable year.
Paid Leave Is Back on the Agenda: Exploring the Economic and Social Benefits
Vicki Shabo explores how the 2024 election is reigniting the paid leave debate and highlights its key benefits for workers and families.
Paid Leave Expert Praises President’s Investments in Care: Funding and Passing Paid Family and Medical Leave and Other Essential Policies Is the “Great Unfinished Business of Our Time”
Paid leave policy expert Vicki Shabo on the key elements of the Biden administration's fiscal year 2024 budget.
Rural New Mexicans Need Paid Leave to Navigate Long Distances to Health Care Services
New Mexico's rural communities face long distances to health care and could better access it with paid family and medical leave.
Rural Mainers Need Paid Leave to Navigate Long Distances to Hospital-Based Health Services
Distances to Hospital-Based Health Care Underscore Maine's Need for Paid Family and Medical Leave to Build a Healthier and Stronger State.
Documenting the Evolution of Federal Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy
This brief co-authored by experts from the Urban Institute and New America's Better Life Lab showcases paid leave policy evolution.
A Big Week for Working Families in Maryland and Delaware Means Momentum Toward Paid Leave for All
Maryland and Delaware become the latest states to pass statewide paid family and medical leave programs for working people and families.
West Virginia Without Paid Leave
Small business owners and workers in West Virginia explain what paid family leave would mean for them, and why a Senate vote could decide it
Las Vegas’s Service and Restaurant Workers Deserve Better, and Universal Paid Leave is a Minimum.
Dispatches from the Paid Leave for All Bus Tour: Las Vegas, Nevada.