1
Best State Performance
11
US Value
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Indicator
State Exceeds Federal FMLA
Eleven states go beyond the federal minimum FMLA by covering family members outside the scope of federal protections (e.g., grandparents, parents-in-law, and siblings), extending the length of leave or covering smaller employers. California previously had lost unpaid leave protections exceeding the federal FMLA requirements, but as of September 2020, the state expanded the California Family Rights Act to offer those extended unpaid leave protections again.
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Methodology
Methodology
This policy indicator credits states that exceed federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requirements in the following categories: covered employers, covered employee eligibility, covered relationships, length of leave allowed.
Scoring: States received 1 point for statewide laws that exceeded federal FMLA requirements by exceeding one or more of the aforementioned categories.
Current year 2022 data from National Conference of State Legislators: State Family Medical Leave Laws and AARP Public Policy independent research to verify status of laws in 2023. Reference year 2019 data from Raising Expectations: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help Working Family Caregivers and AARP Public Policy Institute independent research to verify status of laws in 2019.
National Council of State Legislatures
https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-family-and-medical-leave-laws