PA lawmakers have paid family leave. Should everyone?

Paid family leave is a work perk for Pa. lawmakers but probably not you

Access to paid leave in Pennsylvania is generally determined by where residents live and work. This includes the legislature, which grants paid parental leave to House staffers but not Senate ones.

PA lawmakers have paid family leave. Should everyone?

State Rep. Jen O’Mara was 18 when her youngest brother was born. Her mother had to go back to work after three weeks, leaving the Delaware County Democrat responsible for the baby. “As an 18 year-old, I had no idea how to care for a newborn,” she said at a March legislative hearing. “I'm lucky that he made it. We all made it, but it was a challenging time for our family.” O’Mara is now the mother of a daughter and pregnant with her second child.…

Paid Family Leave Is a Work Perk for Pa. Lawmakers but Probably Not You

This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Sign up for free here. State Rep. Jen O’Mara was 18 when her youngest brother was born. Her mother had to go back to work after three weeks, leaving the Delaware County Democrat responsible for the baby. “As an 18 year-old, I had no idea how to care for a newborn,” she s…

Paid family leave is a work perk for Pa. lawmakers, but not many others

This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Sign up for free here.