Committee approves 4 weeks’ paid parental leave

[Omaha Steve]

http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3482291

By STEPHEN LOSEY

April 16, 2008

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today approved a bill that would give four weeks’ paid parental leave to federal employees — reduced from the eight weeks as proposed by the bill’s sponsor.

The Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on the federal work force, Postal Service and the District of Columbia had advanced the reduced benefit Tuesday, fearing that providing eight weeks of paid leave, as Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., proposed, would cost too much money.

Federal employees who are new parents can now take 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. If HR 5781, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, becomes law, federal employees will be able to supplement their four weeks of paid leave with the remaining eight weeks of unpaid leave.

The National Treasury Employees Union applauded the committee for approving the bill, despite the reduction in the amount of paid leave.

“It is time for the federal government, as the largest employer in this country, to step up and make family leave real, not a mirage that few can afford to use,” NTEU President Colleen Kelley said in a statement. “Being able to substitute any leave without pay under FMLA with four weeks of paid leave will make a significant difference in the lives of both parent and child.”