Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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1. Support for paid leave policies
Women 18 to 29 more likely than male counterparts to say employers pressure mothers and fathers equally to return to work quickly after birth or adoption
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- 1. Support for paid leave policies
- Of four policies tested, proposals in which paid leave benefits are provided directly from the government receive the least support
- About three-quarters say if employers or government were to provide paid leave following birth or adoption, both mothers and fathers should be eligible
- Support for a federal mandate is lowest among those who oppose paid leave
- Americans are divided on whether the federal government should require employers to provide paid leave for family or medical reasons
- About four-in-ten who support paid leave say mothers should receive pay for 12 weeks or more
- Among those who support paid leave, most say pay should come from employers
- More support for paid leave among Democrats than among Republicans and independents
- Significant age divides on views of paid paternity leave
- Most Americans say workers should receive paid family and medical leave
- About half of leave takers with a bachelor’s degree, higher imcomes say they had to respond to work-related communication
- Paid leave survey methodology
- Physical recovery cited more than any other item as factor in deciding who would take more time off after the birth or adoption of a child
- About family-leave takers ages 50 to 64, about half were caring for a seriously ill parent
- About two-thirds of women who took family leave say they were the primary caregiver for their ill family member
- Men, women offer somewhat different views of the impact of taking parental or family leave on their job or career
- Hispanics and those with lower incomes are particularly likely to say it was difficult to learn about leave benefits
- About half of leave takers with a bachelor’s degrees, higher incomes say they had to respond to work-related communication
- Fewer than half of lower-income leave takers say their supervisor was very supportive when they took time off
- Nearly all leave takers who received full pay say they went back to work for the same employer
- Many lower-income parental-leave takers say they took on debt, went on public assistance or put off paying bills to cover lost wages or salary
- About three-in-ten leave takers who received pay combined two or more benefits
- About eight-in-ten leave takers who received pay used vacation days, sick leave or PTO they had earned
- Leave takers with lower incomes and less education are the least likely to say they received at least some pay
- Most who took less time off than they needed or wanted to cite loss of wages or salary as a reason
- Just over half of parental-leave takers say they took less time off from work than they needed or wanted to
- Length of parental leave varies considerably by gender, type of employer and income
- Demographic differences emerge when looking at those who needed or wanted to take leave but weren’t able to
- About half of workers say they received full pay when they took time off from the work for parental, family or medical reasons
- About a quarter of workers took time off for parental, family or medical reasons in the past two years
- About four-in-ten who say children are better off with a parent working part time or not working outside the home say this parent should be the mother
- Few say having two full-time working parents is the ideal situation for children in two-parent households
- Women 18 to 29 more likely than male counterparts to say employers pressure mothers and fathers equally to return to work quickly after birth or adoption
- Most say mothers want to take more time off from work than fathers after birth or adoption
- About seven-in-ten say it’s important for new babies to have equal time to bond with their mothers and fathers
- When it comes to caring for a new baby, about half say mothers do a better job than fathers
- Women are twice as likely as men to say caregiving responsibilities fall mainly on women
- When it comes to men, more say society places greater value on contributions they make at work than at home
- In caring for a new baby or a seriously ill family member, many say women would do a better job than men
- About six-in-ten of those without employer-paid family and medical leave say they are satisfied with benefits and that employer cares about employee well-being
- Lower-income workers are the least satisfied with their benefits
- About four-in-ten Americans say their employer offers paid family and medical leave
- Paid leave seen as particularly helpful among those who have taken or needed or wanted time off for family or medical reasons
- No consensus about what is the most helpful benefit or work arrangement
- Democrats more likely than Republicans to see impact of paid leave as positive
- Most say access to paid family and medical leave for all Americans would be positive for families, women, men and the economy
- Republicans more likely than Democrats and independents to say workers commonly abuse paid leave
- Majority see advantage in employee recruitment and retention for employers that provide paid leave
- Views about trade-offs vary across demographic groups, party affiliation
- Most say employers that provide paid leave can afford to do without trade-offs; three-in-ten say the same about small businesses
- Of four policies tested, proposals in which paid leave benefits are provided directly from the government receive the least support