Leaves that Pay: Employer and Worker Experiences with Paid Family Leave in California

This report presents findings from surveys Eileen Applebaum and Ruth Milkman conducted in 2009 and 2010 of 253 employers and 500 individuals about their experiences with the California Paid Family Leave program and concludes with policy recommendations. The authors conclude that California’s Paid Family Leave program has “more than proven its worth," positvely impacting productivity and staff morale in addition to the economic, social, and health outcomes of workers and their families.  The biggest obstacle to full implementation is limited public awareness of the program.  To improve the impact of this path breaking program, Applebaum and Milkman recommend extending outreach, increasing the level of wage replacement, extend job protection to all users of the program, and extend the program to cover all California public employees. To read the report: click here.