A Family-Friendly Future

9 states and Washington, D.C., have stepped up to provide paid leave for their working parents. Here’s roughly what each one offers—or will offer—as of August 2019.

“Our employees are not only actively engaging with our benefits, they’re helping us shape them.”
—Tammy Yee, American Express

In recent years, working parents in the U.S. have seen significant improvements in taking time off after baby. Several state and local governments have passed laws giving parents at least partially paid leaves. In the private sector, there have been increases in fully paid time off, and more policies have become gender-neutral. Even though some companies still have different tiers of leaves for “primary” and “secondary” caretakers, those designations appear to be fading as organizations move toward more-equal offerings for moms and dads, understanding that both parents need to bond with their child.

So What’s Next?

We asked parental-leave experts what families can expect from their employers in the coming years, and looked at what the Working Mother 100 Best Companies are doing to lead the way. The answers: longer paid leaves, more flexibility in scheduling time off, and better training for