Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act Committee Letter
Dear Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa:
On behalf of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, I am writing to notify you of our opposition to H.R. 626, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.
The legislation mandates an alarming expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), from an unpaid leave program into one that would provide partial paid parental leave for federal employees. By carving out 4 of the 12 weeks of FMLA as paid parental leave, NFIB is concerned that H.R. 626 sets a precedent for future discussions over expansion of FMLA.
In addition to creating a new paid leave component of FMLA, the bill does not require federal employees to first use accumulated vacation or sick leave before taking the paid parental leave. Currently, if an employee has accrued paid time off, an employer may require them to use some or all of their accrued paid time for some or all of the FMLA leave.
Small businesses are struggling to survive in our tough economic times, and are very concerned that creating an expensive, new paid leave benefit for federal employees will eventually lead to new paid leave mandates on small business. I urge your opposition to this legislation.
Sincerely,
Susan Eckerly
Senior Vice President
Public Policy