Why Prospects Are Slowly Looking Better for Moms and Dads Who Are Hourly Workers

More large companies have been increasing parental leave benefits to hourly or part-time employees, reports the Washington Post . Advocacy organizations and human resources experts note a tighter labor market, competitive pressure, demands from other workers, and greater participation by CEOs on social issues are driving these changes. "The train keeps speeding up the track, so it's almost like keeping up with the Joneses now," says Willis Towers Watson's Mary Tavarozzi. "It's not enough to just offer a lengthy paid leave to both salaried mothers and fathers, you have to also make sure that you're covering your hourly workers." However, experts caution that such expansions often exclude part-time workers, sometimes pay out at lower levels that especially affect low-wage employees, and often arrive amid cultures where such amenities have traditionally been unavailable and where workers may not be encouraged to use them. Rent the Runway co-founder Jennifer Hyman says only 14 percent of civilian workers in the United States can access paid family leave, and the U.S. is the only high-income nation in the world that does not make maternity leave a national mandate. Several firms that have recently introduced or expanded paid leave benefits for hourly employees linked the changes to the new tax law, although Tavarozzi says the shift is more likely being impelled by the push by a number of states and municipalities to require paid family leave.