New Paid Leave Playbook Available for U.S. Companies

SEATTLE, June 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Paid Leave Project today released a comprehensive Playbook that helps companies build a business case for offering paid family and medical leave to all employees. The Paid Leave Project is a new initiative from Panorama, a non-profit action tank working to solve global problems through audacious thinking and bold action.

The Playbook is based on research by Panorama and The Boston Consulting Group, which reviewed the paid leave policies of more than 250 companies and interviewed 25 human resource leaders at large organizations.

The Playbook makes a complicated topic easier to grasp, breaking down common misperceptions about paid leave.

"The Playbook addresses one common myth employers face, that offering paid leave benefits costs companies too much money. Our research demonstrates otherwise," said Angela Romei, director of Panorama's Paid Leave Project. "This is good news for employers and employees."

Using the Playbook, a company can:

• Learn about paid family and medical leave in the United States: what it is, how it works, and what other companies are doing.
• Assess its own approach to paid leave, evaluate the business benefits and estimate potential costs.
• Design paid leave benefits, including employee coverage, leave duration, pay and program structure.
• Craft a winning case that will persuade internal decision-makers and senior leadership.
• Implement a paid leave program, from announcement to roll-out.
• Take advantage of a library of downloadable resources, including tools to help calculate costs and savings, case studies, FAQs and expert research.

New Playbook helps companies build business case for paid leave programs

Many companies provide no more than the unpaid leave required by the Family Medical Leave Act. The goal of The Paid Leave Project is to increase access to quality paid family and medical leave in the U.S., and a comprehensive Playbook is one way to help. Panorama is working directly with companies to help them build a business case for paid leave programs that enable them to stay ahead of their competition and attract and retain the best employees.

The step-by-step Playbook equips companies to design custom paid leave programs that fit their culture and values. It provides comprehensive guidance and tools for HR teams, legal and compliance officers, and business leaders who are ready to explore how paid parental, caregiver and medical leave benefits make sense for their business and employees.

"Paid family and medical leave programs make good business sense. Companies that understand the business value of paid leave are the ones best positioned to realize the true potential of their employees," Romei said. "We see positive momentum as more companies recognize that their employees are their brand."

To access the Paid Leave Playbook and begin a discussion about how your company can benefit from and implement paid leave, visit www.paidleaveproject.org.

Current state of paid leave in the United States

The United States is the only advanced country that does not have a federal requirement for paid family and medical leave. In fact, only 14 percent of the U.S. workforce has access to paid family and medical leave, up just 3 percent from 2010. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 12 percent of private sector workers get paid parental and family leave from their employers, and only about four in 10 have access to paid medical leave at work in the form of short-term disability benefits.

In February 2017, The Boston Consulting Group and Panorama released Why Paid Family Leave Is Good Business, a summary report from our original research into the paid leave practices of more than 250 U.S. companies. We also interviewed 25 HR professionals for their detailed experience creating and managing paid leave programs. Together, the research and in-depth interviews helped formulate content and resources which are now available as a downloadable Paid Leave Playbook for any large U.S. employer.

About Panorama
Panorama is a non-profit action tank working to solve global problems through audacious thinking and bold action. We bring together diverse perspectives to spark new ideas that create change on issues affecting people, the planet and productivity. Based in Seattle, Panorama has a global network of strategists, advocates, campaigners, analysts, storytellers, resource mobilizers and organizational designers with deep experience in foundations, non-governmental organizations, private companies and public institutions.

The Paid Leave Project is a dedicated initiative managed by Panorama that works with U.S. companies to raise awareness of the benefits of a comprehensive paid leave program for both employers and employees. For more information on the Paid Leave Project and links to the downloadable Playbook and other useful resources, visit www.paidleaveproject.org

About The Boston Consulting Group
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 85 offices in 48 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com.

Contact: Mark Lamb
Communications Officer, Panorama
[email protected]

SOURCE Panorama

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