The US doesn't offer paid family leave – but will that change in 2020?

Miranda Bryant - The Guardian

According to this article from the Guardian, paid family leave is gaining political traction in the United States. "The US is one of the world’s richest countries, but one in four women go back to work within 10 days of giving birth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists," says the article. "The US is one of only three countries in the world not to offer statutory paid maternity leave, according to analysis by the International Labour Organization. The others are the Marshall Islands and Papua New Guinea."

"But after years of inaction in the US, national conversation around the issue of paid family leave – which can include childbirth, serious illness and caring for a sick family member – has started to gain political ground. Eight states and the district of Columbia have passed their own paid family leave bills – four of which have already implemented it."

There will be a national-level election in 2020 and paid family leave "looks set to become an important policy point," according to the article.