The Lott family in Washington, DC is one of many families advocating for the U.S. to change its parental leave policies. Rob and Jessica Lott both have jobs outside the home. They also have a 12-month-old daughter named Shulie. When Shulie was born last July, both Rob and Jessica looked forward to spending time with her. They also needed to take care of her, and Jessica had to recover from childbirth. But Jessica’s employer offered her just four weeks of paid leave. Rob’s employer did not give him any. Instead, Rob used his vacation and sick leave to care for his wife and daughter for two weeks. He noted that these kinds of paid time off are not the same as parental leave. “Certainly, having a child is not vacation, nor is it a sickness,” he said. Rob and Jessica Lott are part of a campaign to bring paid parental leave to all Americans, starting with those who live or work in Washington, DC. Lawmakers here are considering a bill called the Universal Paid Leave Act.
