A Look At Paid Leave Across The U.S.

Getting paid time off work is a luxury not all Americans enjoy, and few states have protections in place for workers who have or adopt children, need to care for sick relatives, or are sick themselves. In fact, the U.S. is the only industrialized country without guaranteed paid parental leave.

In his 2018 budget plan, President Trump proposed adopting paid parental leave nationwide, requiring states to give workers up to six weeks off when having or adopting a child. The new program would cost about $19 billion over a decade, and individual states would have a lot of room to decide how they institute it. However, Congress still has to approve the budget, and many Republicans aren't yet on board with a new social program, while experts warn that it's not enough for new parents.

Only five states and Washington D.C. have approved paid family leave policies. Similarly, only six states and Washington D.C. have passed laws guaranteeing paid sick leave for employees. Each law is different, so let's walk through what protections employees in each state are granted.