Business Lobby Shifts Paid-Leave Stance, Sensing Action in 2021

Leading U.S. business groups are softening their stance in the debate over federal paid-leave policy, with some stating publicly for the first time that they’re open to Congress creating a national program, provided there are major caveats.

The business community has opposed efforts over the last decade to establish a nationwide paid-leave mandate, instead supporting action by individual employers to adopt their own programs for medical and family leave. Corporate executives have started changing their position to support a national model, and Fortune 500 companies have backed a voluntary federal standard that would shield them from state and local laws. ...