Paid Family Leave
Public Oversight Roundtable – July 2020
On Thursday, July 9, 2020, Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large), Chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a Public Oversight Roundtable on the Paid Family Leave program. The Roundtable aired on the DC Council channel and TV Channel 13, and an archived recording can be found here.
The Committee received presentations from both public witnesses and government witnesses from the Department of Employment Services (DOES).
The agenda, witness list, and witness testimonies are included below:
Paid Family Leave 2019 Q1 Progress Report
The Department of Employment Services (DOES) released the first quarterly report of 2019 on implementation of the District's paid family leave program, pursuant to reporting requirements in Law 21-264, the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016. The Office of Paid Family Leave will be housed within DOES and oversee planning, developing, and administering the program.
You can read the 2019 Q1 progress report here.
Past progress reports are available here:
Paid Family Leave 2018 Q4 Progress Report
The Department of Employment Services (DOES) released the fourth quarterly report on implementation of the District's paid family leave program, pursuant to reporting requirements in Law 21-264, the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016. The Office of Paid Family Leave will be housed within DOES and oversee planning, developing, and administering the program.
You can read the fourth progress report here.
Past progress reports are available here:
Paid Family Leave 2018 Q3 Progress Report
The Department of Employment Services (DOES) released the third quarterly report on implementation of the District's paid family leave program, pursuant to reporting requirements in Law 21-264, the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016. The Office of Paid Family Leave will be housed within DOES and oversee planning, developing, and administering the program.
You can read the third progress report here.
Past progress reports are available here:
Paid Family Leave 2018 Q2 Progress Report
The Department of Employment Services (DOES) released the second quarterly report on implementation of the District's paid family leave program, pursuant to reporting requirements in Law 21-264, the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016. The Office of Paid Family Leave will be housed within DOES and oversee planning, developing, and administering the program.
You can read the second progress report here. The first progress report is also available here.
Paid Family Leave 2018 Q1 Progress Report
The Department of Employment Services (DOES) released the first quarterly report on implementation of the District's paid family leave program, pursuant to reporting requirements in Law 21-264, the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016. The Office of Paid Family Leave will be housed within DOES and oversee planning, developing, and administering the program.
You can read the first progress report here.
Update Report on Implementing Paid Family Leave
In October, the Office of the City Administrator released a report called "Implementing Paid Leave: An update on the implementation of the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016." The report provides an update on the work underway by the Administration to implement the paid family leave law passed by the Council in 2016. It details updates on program administration, staffing, office space, outreach, and IT procurement.
You can read the report here.
Opening Statement on Additional Paid Family Leave Proposals
The following opening statement was presented by Councilmember Silverman at the Committee of the Whole Hearing on October 10, 2017 to discuss five new paid family leave proposals:
Late last year, this Council passed a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that would give our businesses a competitive advantage while helping our city’s workers, particularly our lower-wage employees, take care of their loved ones. The legislative process was in some ways unprecedented and certainly extraordinary: It included an extensive economic impact analysis, 14 months of discussions, 3 formal hearings, and countless meetings. After two votes, the program went through Congressional review without a peep and is now our law.
Our goal—both then and now—should be to ensure that the District has a paid leave program that works for everyone. That means no matter who you work for or what you get paid, you have guaranteed access to leave and you can actually use the benefits. That also means a paid leave program that does not unduly burden our businesses—either big and small.
Councilmember Silverman Releases Statement on Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016
Below is a statement from Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), on Mayor Bowser returning the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 to the Council unsigned:
“I’m thrilled that the District of Columbia is now one step closer to helping working families by implementing paid family leave. I’m happy for the many people who shared very personal stories with me—often heartbreaking stories—about choosing between caring for a loved one or keeping a paycheck. This program will help them weather the critical life events when they need help the most. It also helps our employers, especially our small businesses, provide this important benefit.
The bill is now on its way to congressional approval, and I expect the legislation will become law soon. This is only the beginning; there is much work to be done to implement the legislation and make it truly a benefit to our workers, our businesses, and our city. I look forward to working with Mayor Bowser and my DC Council colleagues over the coming months to make sure we have the strongest program possible.
D.C. Council Supermajority Approves Universal Paid Family Leave in Final Vote
Today, Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) voted with a majority of her D.C. Council colleagues to approve, on a second and final reading, the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016, which will create a family and personal medical leave program in the District of Columbia. The legislation passed by a vote of 9 to 4.
Under the final bill, the District will create a social insurance system that will provide up to eight weeks of annual paid leave to new parents for a birth or adoption, up to six weeks for District workers to care for a sick loved one, and up to two weeks for District workers in need of personal medical leave. Self-employed individuals may opt into the program. District government employees will remain under the D.C. government program; federal employees and District residents who work for employers outside of D.C. will not be covered by the bill.
“I am proud that the District engaged in a truly robust debate about how we can best help working families in our city,” said Silverman after the final vote. “Through this discussion, the Council put forth a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that will help us tackle one of our biggest challenges—ensuring that our city is a more equitable and fair place to live.”