| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: Jill Talley |
| June 28, 2018 | 571-483-1291 |
Alexandria, VA – The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) applauded the introduction today of the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2018 by Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-VA. The bill provides 12 weeks of paid leave to federal employees for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.
NARFE President Richard G. Thissen issued the following statement:
“NARFE thanks Congresswoman Comstock for championing this long-overdue policy. The United States of America is the only developed country in the world that does not provide paid parental leave for its civil servants. It is past time to do so.
“Paid parental leave demonstrates the value we place on family and parenting. Parents should not be forced to make difficult trade-offs between spending invaluable time to bond with their new child, or being able to pay their bills and save for their child’s future.
“The policy also reflects smart human resource management practice. Paid parental-leave policies have been shown to improve the recruitment and retention of young workers, reducing turnover costs significantly. The policy also improves employee morale, which increases productivity. An increasing number of major private-sector employers have recognized these benefits and now provide paid parental leave for their employees. The United States government should as well.
“NARFE appreciates Congresswoman Comstock’s leadership on this issue, and urges Congress to swiftly act to pass this commonsense, family-friendly legislation.”
