Fedweek

The proposal also would provide all federal employees with a new entitlement to six weeks of paid leave each 12 months for parental purposes–the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child–to replace half of the 12 weeks of unpaid leave time available for that purpose under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Obama administration previously has proposed granting paid parental leave, as have some members of Congress, although those proposals never have advanced in Congress. DoD also had signaled interest in providing paid parental leave in the earlier draft, although that document suggested that it could be done under existing law; the current proposal would involve a change in law. Under the proposal, all FMLA leave including the six weeks of paid time for parental purposes would be available immediately on hiring, rather than only after a one-year wait; FMLA leave time including the paid parental time could be used intermittently or on a reduced work schedule unless that would disrupt agency operations; and for parental purposes, employees generally could substitute for unpaid FMLA leave time any type of paid leave, including advanced annual or sick leave (currently substitution only of accumulated paid leave is allowed). The paid time could not be carried forward beyond one year or converted to cash if unused; would be prorated for part-time or seasonal employees; and for the seasonal employees would be available only in their working seasons.