The United States represent the only developed economy in the world with no national health insurance system and no paid parental leave guaranteed to employees. Parents are entitled to take parental leave for 12 weeks (the same as in Swaziland and Lesotho), but it is unpaid leave and only by companies with more than 50 employees.
Although some, especially big technology companies have started to offer paid parental leave on their own initiative as an employee benefit, figures are harsh: Only 12% of the working population of the United States is entitled to get paid parental leave. However, better times may be approaching. San Francisco is the first U.S. city to mandate that employers provide employees with fully paid parental leave. The city councillors have just unanimously passed the bill which gives mothers and fathers fully paid parental leave for six weeks starting in 2017.
Even small steps count ...
San Francisco is located in the State of California, which was the first U.S. state to introduce its own parental leave program in 2002. Employees are entitled to 55% of their salaries during parental leave. On top of that, employers with more than 50 employees must pay the remaining 45% to their employees. This obligation will gradually apply to employers with 20 employees.
Similar laws were passed also in the states of New Jersey (six-week paid parental leave) and Rhode Island (four-week paid parental leave). New York State introduced parental leave as well, for the period of 12 weeks. The reform will, however, be implemented gradually and ultimately ensure employees on parental leave only 50% of salary. The fact also remains that other developed economies offer at least 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave.
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