Fewer than a dozen states have provisions for workers to receive
paid time off for caregiving
AARP,
September 25, 2019
En español
| While the federal government does not require private employers to offer paid
family leave, some states have enacted legislation to create mandatory
family-leave insurance programs to provide parents and other caregivers with
paid time off.
More than 40 million family caregivers in the
U.S. provide 37 billion hours of unpaid help, according to a 2013 AARP study, the most recent data available. Those numbers have
pushed state and federal lawmakers to take a new look at compensating unpaid caregivers,
who often are financially stressed.
As of March 2018, fewer than 1 in 6 workers
had access to employer-provided paid family leave, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As of September 2019, four states had
government-sponsored family-leave insurance programs in effect. Five other
states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar measures that have not
yet taken effect. Payroll taxes for workers in the state cover the cost of this
insurance, with contributions from the employee, the employer or both.
Here are the states that offer or have
committed to offering paid family leave.
Effective Date: In effect
Maximum benefit: $1,252 a week
How it works: Employees can receive 60 to 70 percent of
their weekly earnings, up to the maximum benefit, for up to six weeks within
any 12-month period. (The leave period increases to eight weeks on July 1,
2020.)
California was the first to enact paid family
leave, launching its program in 2005.
Effective Date: Benefits begin Jan. 1, 2022
Maximum benefit: $780 a week in 2022, rising to $900 a week in
2023
How it works: Employees will receive up to 95 percent of
their pay, depending on their earnings. Almost all workers will be eligible for
up to 12 weeks off to care for a seriously ill family member.
Effective Date: Benefits begin July 1, 2020
Maximum benefit: $1,000 a week
How it works: Employees will receive up to six weeks’ pay to
care for a family member with a serious health condition.
Effective Date: Benefits begin Jan. 1, 2021
Maximum benefit: Your base salary each week
How it works: Employees earn an hour of paid leave for every
40 hours worked, but they cannot use the time until they have worked 120 days
during a one-year period. For a full-time employee working a 40-hour week, 24
weeks — roughly five and a half months — would have to elapse before they could
take paid leave. The worker would have earned three days by then.
Employees may use this paid leave for any
reason. Companies with fewer than 10 employees are exempt from providing this
benefit, and workers who have a collective bargaining agreement also aren't covered.
Effective Date: Benefits for family caregiving begin July 1,
2021 (Jan. 1, 2021, if the recipient is serving in the military).
Maximum benefit: $850 a week
How it works: Employees can receive 50 to 80 percent of
their weekly earnings, up to the maximum, for up to 12 weeks to care for a
family member with a serious health condition. Those caring for a loved one who
serves in the military may be covered for up to 26 weeks starting Jan. 1, 2021.
Effective Date: In effect
Maximum benefit: $650 a week in 2019
How it works: Employees can receive 67 percent of their
average weekly earnings, up to the maximum, for up to six weeks in a 12-month
period to care for a family member. That increases to 12 weeks or 56
intermittent days of caregiving on July 1, 2020.
Effective Date: In effect
Maximum benefit: $746.41 a week in 2019, $840.70 in 2020
How it works: Employees can receive 55 percent (2019) to 60
percent (2020) of their average weekly earnings, up to the maximum, for up to
10 weeks to care for a family member with a serious health condition. The
maximum leave period increases to 12 weeks and 67 percent in 2021.
Effective Date: Benefits begin Jan. 1, 2023
Maximum benefit: $1,215 a week
How it works: Employees will receive 5 to 120 percent of
their average weekly wage, up to the maximum, for up to 12 weeks to care for a
family member with a serious health condition.
Companies with fewer than 25 employees are
exempt from providing this benefit.
Effective Date: In effect
Maximum benefit: $852 a week
How it works: Employees receive about 60 percent of weekly
earnings for up to four weeks to care for a family member with a serious health
condition.
Effective Date: Benefits begin Jan. 1, 2020.
Maximum benefit: $1,000 a week
How it works: Employees will receive between $100 and $1,000
a week, depending on their weekly earnings, for up to 12 weeks to care for a
family member with a serious health condition.
Keep in mind
• Some states require employees to give advance notice, typically 30 days,
before taking paid family leave, although there may be exceptions for
unforeseeable circumstances. Check with your human resources department about
notice policies.
• Taxes often are not deducted from the amount you receive for paid family
leave, and the income is taxable.
More on Getting
Paid as a Family Caregiver
- Can I get
paid to be a caregiver for a family member?
- Getting
compensated for caregiving can change family dynamics
- Creating a
personal care agreement
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