By Rainesford Stauffer

(EXCERPT)

She isn’t alone. The United States does not require employers to offer paid family and medical leave and paid sick time. Workers who need time off to have a baby, care for a sick relative, or recover from injury or illness depend on the generosity of their company or state (some, including Massachusetts, Washington, and New York, have passed mandatory paid family leave in recent years). And young employees are less likely to get the benefit of employer-paid leave, according to a February 2025 report jointly published by the advocacy group A Better Balance and two non-profit policy organizations, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and the National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy.

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