A strong paid family and medical leave policy addresses the needs of both your employees and your business. Whether you are just beginning to think about offering PFML in the U.S. or have the green light to design and implement PFML, think about how you would like to structure this employee benefit.
Some design decisions (especially types and duration of leave offered) will be core to your PFML proposal. As they affect the overall economics / decision to offer PFML, they require earlier alignment and will likely require input from multiple senior leaders in your organization. Remaining decisions can be made at a later time and may require less senior attention.
Consider whether you will offer parental leave, caregiver leave, and medical leave to employees, or a sub-set of these benefits
Consider which employee groups will have access to PFML – salaried and hourly? Full-time and part-time?
Consider how many weeks of leave and the rate of pay you will provide
Consider if you will require leave to be taken in one continuous block or whether you will provide flexibility to employees
Consider whether and how you will provide supporting mechanisms for employees using PFML, such as ramp-on/ramp-off periods