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Washington — President Barack Obama is encouraging more employers to adopt family-friendly policies by hosting a daylong summit on Monday, even though the US government doesn't always set the best example.
The United States is the only industrialised nation that doesn't mandate paid leave for mothers of newborns, although Obama said he'd like to see that change.
"Only three countries in the world report that they don't offer paid maternity leave — three — and the United States is one of them," Obama said in his weekly address. "It's time to change that.
A few states have acted on their own to give workers paid family leave, but this should be available to everyone, because all Americans should be able to afford to care for a family member in need."
California, Rhode Island and New Jersey have a system of paid leave, but it's unclear how Obama would fund a national system.
Obama has not endorsed legislation that would create one funded by a payroll tax, and he pledged in his 2008 presidential campaign not to raise taxes on families making under $250 000 a year.
Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett said in a conference call with reporters on Sunday that the president is trying to start a national conversation to explore the issue.
"Cost is an issue for any federal program and we need to make sure we do this in a way where we are not raising taxes on middle-class families," she said.
"But we also know what a good investment in our workforce it would be if they had paid leave, and that investment will pay great returns."
The summit comes in a midterm election year focused on women voters, and the White House was devoting all its star power to the event, with appearances by first lady Michele Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
The summit being held at Washington's Omni Hotel will highlight businesses with family-friendly benefits to hold up as best practices — Obama said child care and flexible work schedules also are vital benefits.
Executives representing Gap, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Johnson and Johnson, Goldman Sachs, Shake Shack, Cisco Systems and Intel Corp. are participating in panel discussions at the summit.
While some companies offer paid family leave to attract workers, the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act only requires that employers provide unpaid leave for medical and family reasons.
Obama planned to issue a presidential memorandum on Monday directing federal agencies to expand flexible work arrangements when possible.
Obama also planned to urge Congress to pass legislation requiring employers to accommodate pregnant employees so they can continue to perform their jobs.
He also is ordering the Labour Department to create an interactive map that shows the rights of pregnant workers in each state.
