Paid Leave

The U.S. birth rate is declining due to factors such as lack of paid leave, discrimination against pregnant workers, unaffordable childcare, wage gaps between men and women, and severe abortion restrictions, which collectively make motherhood less appealing and feasible.

Germans now require a doctor’s note to take sick leave due to 'extraordinarily high levels of sick leave.' Previously, workers could take up to six weeks of paid leave for illness, in addition to six weeks of vacation.

The superintendent of Los Angeles public schools has resigned four months after being placed on paid leave during a federal investigation. His resignation follows an FBI search and ongoing investigation.

Forty-two states plus DC have expanded paid leave access since 2020, with Virginia's governor recently signing a paid sick leave law. The US remains the only wealthy nation without a national paid leave policy, but advocates hope the growing patchwork of state laws will pressure Congress to enact a federal policy, especially if Democrats win the majority in the fall.

Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s press secretary, is expected to give birth to her second child next week, according to a White House official. The duration of her absence from the podium is unclear, and federal employees are generally entitled to 12 weeks of paid leave.