Explaining differences in access and utilization rates of leave across surveysġ. Source: Authors’ calculations using AFS data. (at least one week of leave taken in the last five years)ĭid employer offer pay during the leave period? Table 5: AFS-Among workers who took at least one week of leave during the last five years, percentage who were paid The tables below present some basic estimates on access to paid leave benefits (from the NCS and ATUS) and use of paid leave (from the ATUS and AFS). Reconciling these numbers requires an understanding of precisely what each survey is measuring. Among those who actually take parental or family care leave, at least half report being paid, according to a combination of estimates from the ATUS and AFS. Individuals ages 18+ who worked in last five yearsĪ cursory look at the data on access to paid leave would suggest a serious contradiction: According to estimates from the NCS, just one in five workers has access to paid family leave (here defined as a combination of parental and family care leave), but according to the ATUS, about half of all workers over the age of 14 can access parental or family care leave. Use of leave benefits (family leave only) Wage and salary workers (not self-employed) ages 15+ Table 2: Summary of three surveys on paid leave SurveyĪnnually starting in 2010 (earlier years available in Employee Benefits Survey)ġ1,477 establishments (employer-based survey)Ĭivilian workers employed in private industry or state/local government (not self-employed) In 2019, the survey collected data about respondents’ experiences with using family leave. Since 2015, the American Family Survey (AFS) has been measuring attitudes and practices surrounding marriage and families.The leave module was first introduced in 2011, and questions about leave were not asked again until 2017-2018. The Access to and Use of Leave module of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) is a survey of wage and salary workers about access to and use of paid and unpaid leave at their main job.Since NCS data is collected directly from employers, it provides more detailed and accurate information on official employer leave policies. The National Compensation Survey is an establishment survey that collects data on employer-sponsored benefits, including paid leave.The three surveys we focus on are summarized below. We compare this to data from the American Family Survey, a fairly new household survey that released data on the use of leave benefits in 2019. In addition to looking at access, the American Time Use Survey also measures take-up of leave benefits and provides insight into the reasons workers do not always use leave benefits that are available to them. In the next section, we discuss key differences in how these surveys measure leave access. Two of the most common sources of data on access to paid leave are the benefits portion of the National Compensation Survey and the Access to and Use of Leave Module of the American Time Use Survey (both produced by BLS), which released new data on leave benefits in 2019. Sick leave is usually defined as leave for routine preventative and medical care or a short bout of illness, such as the flu that requires days-but not months-to recuperate. Provides workers with time off to care for their own disability or serious illness such as cancer that requires weeks (or months) to recuperate. Qualifying family members can vary, but often include children, spouses, and parents. Includes both maternity and paternity leave and guarantees employees the ability to take a leave of absence to care for and bond with a new child (including biological, adopted, or foster children).Įnables workers to take time off to care for an ill or aging family member. Table 1: Defining Paid Family and Medical Leave Type of Leave

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