“Today, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act to broaden paid leave benefits for millions of federal workers who currently do not have access to paid caregiving or medical leave. Federal employees gained access to 12 weeks of paid parental leave through last year’s National Defense Authorization Act. Currently, federal employees who need to take leave to care for an ill family member, for their own medical needs, or for certain military caregiving purposes have to do so without pay. This legislation would ensure that federal employees have access to paid leave for all of these purposes.

Making sure that federal employees have access to comprehensive paid leave is critical, especially at a time when all Americans need and deserve additional flexibility to care for their families as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. As the nation’s largest employer with more than two million workers across the country, the federal government has a responsibility to enact equitable workplace policies that prioritize families, ensuring that no person has to choose between caring for a family member or themselves and earning a paycheck.

We thank Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash) for introducing this legislation and call on Congress to expand paid leave for all workers during this time of crisis through passage of the FAMILY Act.”