美国比以往任何时候都更近通过联邦带薪探亲假政策。
3.5万亿美元的人力基础设施一揽子计划是乔·拜登总统的《重建更美好生活法案》的核心内容，目前正在国会进行辩论，该计划将给予所有工人长达12周的带薪探亲假和病假。
虽然带薪探亲假条款目前已被纳入立法，但该条款可能会在法案通过前被删除，从而促使带薪探亲假倡导者动员起来。
亿万富翁慈善家梅林达·盖茨在推特上发出行动呼吁，写道:“就在我们说话的时候，国会正在辩论# paidleave是留在最终的预算方案中，还是被削减。换句话说，他们正在讨论女性是否会被甩在后面。”
如果你关心这些事情——妇女、家庭、我们的经济——今天和我以及其他领导人一起给你们在国会的代表打电话。告诉他们我们不能有一个让女性掉队的预算。告诉他们带薪休假必须留在。pic.twitter.com/KrUvre5Q2f
—梅林达·弗伦奇·盖茨(@梅琳达·盖茨)2021年9月27日
女演员曼迪·摩尔，她自己是新妈妈，还在社交媒体上发出行动呼吁，写道:“除非我们采取行动，否则这个机会可能会溜走——对女性、家庭和美国经济造成巨大后果。”
呼吁国会通过带薪探亲假把美国从一小群国家中剔除目前还不能保证——因为很多家庭，尤其是职场妈妈，仍在努力从冠状病毒大流行带来的双重育儿和经济危机。
在大流行期间，大约350万学龄儿童的母亲离开了积极的工作，转入带薪或不带薪休假，失去工作或完全退出劳动力市场，根据美国人口普查局。
以下是关于建议的带薪休假条款的五个问题，以及它对家庭和员工意味着什么。
1.如果带薪探亲假和病假通过了，到底会有什么变化?
根据《重建更美好生活法案》目前包含的条款，美国所有工人将被允许享受长达12周的带薪假期，以欢迎孩子、照顾家庭成员或解决他们自己的严重医疗问题。
此外，工人可以享受三天带薪丧假，以及长达26周的带薪军事护理假。
对工人的唯一要求是他们必须有最近的工资记录，这用来决定他们休假时的工资。
一个人休假期间的工资将由政府支付，而不是个人雇主。
根据美国现行政策《家庭和医疗休假法》，符合条件的员工可以请假照顾新生儿或爱人，或从疾病中恢复，而不用担心失去工作，但在大多数情况下，假期是不带薪的。
2.国会正在发生什么?
带薪家庭假和医疗假规定被纳入一项预算调节法案，该法案侧重于人力基础设施和社会支出9月中旬通过美国众议院委员会。
与此同时，美国参议院推进了一项两党基础设施法案，该法案侧重于对美国道路、桥梁、铁路和港口的投资。
现在，众议院和参议院的领导人正试图就这两项法案进行谈判，以便将立法提交给拜登总统。
众议院议长南希·佩洛西最初表示，她将推动这两项提案在国会一起通过，但她周一表示，她正在采取不同的方法，并计划推进本周就参议院的两党基础设施法案进行投票。
一些众议院进步党团成员抗议道，在最近的一篇专栏文章中写道，国会“必须为美国家庭服务”，包括带薪休假。
乔·拜登总统和白宫新闻秘书珍·普萨基周一下午都表示，立法谈判可能会延续到本周之后。
据报道，这是国会有史以来最接近通过带薪探亲假和病假的一次，但这项立法是否会越过终点线仍是“5000亿美元的问题”米歇尔·麦克格莱恩全国妇女和家庭伙伴关系国会关系和经济司法主任。
麦克格莱恩说:“我认为许多国会议员都明白这种项目将如何改变生活。“我们是世界上唯一一个没有任何形式的带薪休假保障的国家，从这场公共卫生疫情中走出来，人们真的开始理解，或者继续理解，当人们需要处理真正严重的医疗或护理问题时，让他们去工作是荒谬的。”
3.如果带薪休假通过，什么时候生效?
如果带薪休假在本届国会获得通过，它将在2023年6月实施。
4.我已经通过我的雇主带薪休假了。这种情况会改变吗?
不，根据麦克格莱恩的说法，联邦带薪家庭和医疗休假计划不会改变符合联邦标准的私人雇主计划。
“如果雇主已经在提供福利，这不会以任何方式剥夺他们已经在做的事情，”她说，并指出已经提供休假福利的雇主将能够获得其员工在联邦计划下将获得的90%的报销。
麦克格莱恩说，目前只有大约五分之一的私营部门雇员可以享受带薪探亲假和病假。
她说:“你可能会得到几天带薪休假，几天带薪病假，但这与长期带薪家庭假和重大生活事件的医疗假不同，比如欢迎新孩子、接受化疗、接受手术、将父母转移到护理机构。“只有大约五分之一的劳动力可以享受这些福利。”
根据麦克格莱恩的说法，目前有九个州——加利福尼亚州、马萨诸塞州、新泽西州、纽约州、罗德岛州、华盛顿州——和哥伦比亚特区已经制定了带薪探亲假计划。
Congress close to passing paid family and medical leave: Here's what it would mean
The United States is closer than it's ever been topassing a federal paid family leave policy.
The $3.5 trillion human infrastructure package, the centerpiece of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Act, currently being debated in Congress would give all workers up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.
While the paid family leave provision is currently included in the legislation, it could be removed before the bill is passed, prompting advocates for paid family leave to mobilize.
Billionaire philanthropist Melinda Gates issued a call to action on Twitter, writing: "As we speak, Congress is debating whether #paidleave stays in the final budget package—or gets cut. In other words, they're debating whether women will be left behind."
If you care about these things—women, families, our economy—join me and other leaders in calling your representatives in Congress today. Tell them we can’t have a budget that leaves women behind. Tell them paid leave must stay in.pic.twitter.com/KrUvre5Q2f
— Melinda French Gates (@melindagates)September 27, 2021
Actress Mandy Moore,herself a new mom, also issued a call to action on social media, writing: "Unless we act, this opportunity may slip away—with huge consequences for women, families, and the U.S. economy."
The call for Congress to pass paid family leave -- andtake the U.S. out of the small pool of countriesthat does not currently guarantee it -- comes as many families,particularly working moms, are still trying to recover from thedual child care and economic crises brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
During the pandemic, around 3.5 million moms of school-age children left active work, shifting into paid or unpaid leave, losing their job or exiting the labor market altogether,according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Here are five questions answered about the proposed paid leave provision, and what it would mean for families and employees.
1. What exactly would change if paid family and medical leave is passed?
Under the provision currently included in the Build Back Better Act, all workers in the U.S. would be allowed up to 12 weeks of paid leave to welcome a child, care for a family member or address their own serious medical condition.
In addition, workers would be allowed three paid days for bereavement and up to 26 weeks of paid leave for military caregiving purposes.
The only requirement for workers is they must have a recent wage history, which is used to determine the pay they receive while on leave.
The pay during a person's leave would be paid for by the government, not individual employers.
Under current U.S. policy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, employees who qualify can take time off to care for a newborn or loved one or recover from illness without fear of losing their job, but in most cases the leave is unpaid.
2. What is happening in Congress?
The paid family and medical leave provision is included in a budget reconciliation bill, focused on human infrastructure and social spending, thatpassed through U.S. House committees in mid-September.
At the same time, the U.S. Senate has moved forward a bipartisan infrastructure bill that focuses on investments in the nation's roads, bridges, railways and ports.
Now, leaders in the House and Senate are trying to negotiate the two bills to get legislation to President Biden's desk.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initially said she would move the two proposals through Congress together, but signaled Monday she is taking a different approach and plans to push forward with avote this week on the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Somemembers of the House Progressive Caucus have protested, writing in a recent op-ed that Congress "must deliver for American families," including on paid leave.
President Joe Biden and White House press secretary Jen Psaki both indicated Monday afternoon that negotiations on the legislation could stretch beyond this week.
This is the closest Congress has ever been to passing paid family and medical leave, but whether the legislation will cross the finish line remains the "$500 billion question," according toMichelle McGrain, director of congressional relations and economic justice at the National Partnership for Women and Families.
"I think many members of Congress understand how life-changing this kind of a program would be," said McGrain. "We are one of the only countries in the entire world that has no guaranteed form of paid leave whatsoever, and coming out of this public health epidemic, people really are starting to understand, or continuing to understand, that it's absurd to make people go to work when they need to deal with their really serious medical or caregiving issues."
3. If paid leave passes, when would it go into effect?
If paid leave passes this Congress, it would be implemented by June 2023.
4. I already have paid leave through my employer. Would that change?
No, a federal paid family and medical leave program would not change private employers' programs that meet the federal standard, according to McGrain.
"This will not in any way take away what employers are already doing if they are already providing benefits," she said, noting that employers who already offer leave benefits would be able to get reimbursed for 90% of what their employees would receive under the federal program.
McGrain said currently only about one-fifth of employees in the private sector have access to paid family and medical leave.
"You might get a few days of paid time off, a few days of paid sick leave, but that’s not the same as long-term paid family and medical leave for significant life events like welcoming a new child, undergoing chemotherapy, undergoing surgery, transitioning a parent to a care facility," she said. "Only about one-fifth of the workforce has access to these benefits."
Currently, nine states -- California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington -- and the District of Columbia have enacted paid family leave programs, according to McGrain.
