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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Amanda Farnan (Councilmember Henderson) Sam Rosen-Amy (Councilmember Silverman)
(202) 355-8431 | afarnan@dccouncil.us (202) 741-0916 | srosenamy@dccouncil.us
New Bill Expands Paid Family & Medical Leave for D.C. Government Workers
Proposal Makes District Government Competitive with Federal Government, Private Sector
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 19, 2022 – Today, the 13 members of the D.C. Council unanimously introduced legislation that would expand paid family and medical leave benefits for D.C. government workers, making the city competitive with the federal government and many large private sector employers. The bill allows up to 12 weeks of paid leave in one year for bonding with a new child, caregiving for a family member, or for personal medical recovery, with a maximum total of 16 weeks over a two-year period. The addition of medical leave and two weeks of pre-natal benefits gives D.C. public-sector workers a package of benefits similar to those available to D.C.’s private sector workers through the District’s Universal Paid Leave program.
Currently, D.C. government employees have up to eight weeks paid leave for qualifying parental and family health events, but no paid personal medical leave. The addition of medical and pre-natal leave, as well as enhanced parental and family leave, strengthens D.C. government’s commitment as an employer to the health and well-being of its workers, compassionately helping them navigate life events we all experience.
Number of weeks of paid leave available for D.C. government employees:
Current
Proposed
The bill, spearheaded by at-large councilmembers Christina Henderson (I) and Elissa Silverman (I), recognizes that attracting and retaining hard-working and dedicated public servants in D.C.’s competitive job market requires the city to offer a benefits package that matches those of other employers in the area. District government was among the pioneers offering paid family leave in 2014 when the city started providing up to eight weeks of paid leave for parental or family caregiving. Since then, the District implemented a private-sector program and many employers, including the federal government, have greatly expanded family and medical leave benefits for employees. Comprehensive paid family and medical leave has been shown through research to not only keep employees healthy and improve retention, but also reduces gender and racial wage gaps and promotes workplace equity.
D.C. government workers such as Brian Wheeler say that the increased benefits go beyond just helping himself and his family. “When our families have the time to be healthy, we’re in a much better position to offer the best care possible to the communities we serve,” said Wheeler, who works as a schools-based social worker for the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health.
Silverman and Henderson also touted the bill’s benefits to D.C. residents and businesses. “Keeping our workers healthy and able to deal with life events will keep our government operations healthy as well,” said Silverman. “When we take care of our hard-working, experienced employees, our residents benefit from the delivery of efficient, effective government services.”
Henderson added that the pandemic has brought an urgency to the issue. “The past two years have brought to light the importance of quality, adequate benefits necessary for a healthy workforce. Today, the District government offers zero paid medical leave. This legislation would change that, establishing the public sector as a competitive employer for top talent,” said Henderson. “Furthermore, incorporating medical leave into our benefits begins to resolve an equity issue for government employees who must recover from their own severe illness. I look forward to supporting benefits that retain and attract a talented workforce at the District government.”
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