The U.S. Department of Labor hosted a conference on June 26, 2024, to discuss the equitable implementation of paid family and medical leave programs. The event, organized by the department’s Women’s Bureau, featured former Secretary of Labor and current White House Senior Advisor Tom Perez, federal officials, state paid leave administrators, researchers, and other stakeholders.
The "Paid Leave: Equity in Implementation" conference attracted approximately 200 participants both in-person and online. Concurrently, the Women’s Bureau released its latest paid leave issue brief for 2024.
“Having a paid leave law on the books is not enough,” said Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon. “The design of the program and the way in which it’s implemented also need to be equitable.”
Perez emphasized the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to establishing a national paid family and medical leave program as outlined in President Biden's 2025 budget proposal. The proposed program would be administered by the Social Security Administration and provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of leave for various family and health-related reasons.
Research presented at the conference included findings from the Urban Institute indicating that a national policy replacing a higher share of wages for lower-wage workers could reduce poverty. Researchers from New America, Brandeis University, and UCLA’s WORLD Policy Analysis Center shared insights on effective paid-leave programs both domestically and internationally.
Remarks were also delivered by several department officials including Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Lisa M. Gomez, Chief Evaluation Officer Alix Gould-Werth, Chief Economist Sarah Jane Glynn, Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman, and Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn M. Williams.
State officials and community-based organizations discussed best practices being implemented in New Jersey to promote paid family medical leave.
