Getting the Parental Leave You Deserve

It wasn’t until I had my daughter and took parental leave did I realize how complicated and lacking parental leave is in the US. Like many new parents, I spent endless hours Googling, talking to colleagues, and trying to piece together how much leave I could take and how I would get paid. It quickly became clear: working mothers in the U.S. are overwhelmingly unsupported.

Unlike many other countries—shoutout to Scandinavia, where paid parental leave is a guaranteed right for both parents—the U.S. operates on a confusing patchwork system that leaves millions of parents stressed, financially vulnerable, and struggling to figure out their options.

But here’s the good news: with the right knowledge, you can navigate this system and get the parental leave you deserve. The parental leave puzzle has four key pieces:

1. Wage Replacement

The ability to take time off when welcoming a child often depends on whether you receive wage replacement. In the U.S., there are four main ways to get paid during parental leave:

• Your state: As of March 2025, nine states and Washington, D.C. offer paid parental leave, though it only covers a portion of your wages and not everyone qualifies.
• Your employer: About 25% of private employers offer paid parental leave.
• Short-term disability insurance: Often an employer-sponsored benefit, this typically provides 40–100% wage replacement for six to eight weeks, depending on your delivery method.
• PTO and sick time: This is often a last resort but can help supplement income during parental leave.

2. Job Protection

Getting paid is great, but keeping your job and health insurance is just as important. Job protection ensures your employer cannot fire you, reduce your salary, or demote you for taking leave. You may qualify for job protection through your employer, state laws, or federal laws like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). While on job-protected leave, your employer must continue providing health insurance as they did before your leave.

3. Legal Protections

Beyond job protection, several laws safeguard new and expecting parents. For example, the PUMP Act grants lactating parents the right to pump at work in a private space (not a bathroom) and mandates break time for expressing milk. Knowing your rights can help you push back if your employer isn’t compliant.

4. Advocacy

Even if you qualify for any of the benefits described above, you might not receive them unless you advocate for yourself. Put together a plan early—know what benefits you qualify for and how to access them. The last thing you want is to apply late for paid leave or return to work only to find there’s nowhere for you to pump.

Recommendations from the Experts

Most pregnant employees first turn to HR for parental leave guidance, but here’s the catch: HR is often just as confused as you. That’s why advocating for yourself is essential. Do your research, ask questions, and push back if something doesn’t sound right.

Here are some resources to help:

• Parental Leave Consultants: Like I mentioned above, I didn’t realize how confusing and frustrating parental leave was in the U.S. until I needed it. I took that frustration and turned it into the first nationwide parental leave consulting company in the U.S. At Hello, Bundle, we help new and expecting parents understand their benefits and maximize their parental leave. We take the guesswork out of the process so you don’t have to spend hours decoding legal jargon.
• Parental Leave Advocacy Groups: Organizations like Moms First and Chamber of Mothers are pushing for federally mandated paid parental leave in the U.S.
• Workplace Rights Legal Experts: Groups like WorkLife Law and Legal Aid at Work offer free legal advice for parents facing workplace discrimination or confusion around their rights.

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