The Washington, DC council voted today to give employees who work in DC eight weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, six weeks of paid leave to care for an ill family member, and two weeks of personal sick leave.
The legislation will be funded by a 0.62 percent increase to the payroll tax. The first taxes would not be collected until 2019, and the first benefits would not be paid out until early 2020.
But does this include federal employees in DC?
No. DC cannot impose taxes on the federal government, so it will not apply to federal workers who work in Washington, DC.
Any additional paid leave granted to the federal workforce will have to come from the federal government.
Last year, President Obama issued a proposal to provide federal employees at least six weeks of leave including advance leave as necessary. OPM followed up a few months later with guidance on the president’s proposal.
Legislation was also introduced last year to give federal employees six weeks of paid parental leave. To date the bill has not passed and is not likely to do so.
