A new state-by-state analysis shows that few states have expanded upon the Family and Medical Leave Act’s (FMLA’s) unpaid leave protections or adopted other policies to help expecting and new parents who are employed. The analysis, “Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help Expecting and New Parents,” is the most comprehensive analysis to date of state laws and regulations governing paid leave and other workplace rights for expecting and new parents in the United States.
The analysis was conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families. The full study grades all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) based on their passage of select laws that offer greater leave or workplace protections than federal law provides.
California is the only state to receive an “A.” New York and D.C. earn grades of “A-” and 11 states earn grades of “B.” However, 10 states earn grades of “C,” 15 states earn grades of “D,” and 12 states receive grades of “F” for failing to enact a single workplace policy to help expecting or new parents. The map below shows the grade for each state.
