President Biden recently unveiled his 2025 federal budget proposal, with recommendations including a new federal family and medical leave (FMLA) program to be run by the Social Security Administration. The new program would grant up to 12 weeks of paid leave for employees experiencing major life changes including personal or family illness, a family member's military deployment, seeking safety from domestic violence and grieving the death of a loved one.

This introduction of paid leave in the U.S. brings us closer to global standards, but we're still playing catch up. Many countries, especially those in Europe and Asia, provide considerably more leave benefits to employees. In Moldova, for example, employees can take up to two years away from work when they have a child, and in Hungary, vacation time is increased for those with children. The U.S. is overdue for federally mandated paid leave, but with any new workplace program comes new considerations for HR leaders managing employee benefits.