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Home Research Topics Family & Relationships Family Caregiving
Pew Research CenterMarch 17, 2017
5. An inside look at family and medical leave in America: The experiences of those who took leave and those who needed or wanted to but couldn’t

Among family-leave takers ages 50 to 64, about half were caring for a seriously ill parent

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Among family-leave takers ages 50 to 64, about half were caring for a seriously ill parent

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5. An inside look at family and medical leave in America: The experiences of those who took leave and those who needed or wanted to but couldn’t
Physical recovery cited more than any other item as a factor in deciding who would take more time off after the birth or adoption of a child
Among family-leave takers ages 50 to 64, about half were caring for a seriously ill parent
About two-thirds of women who took family leave say they were the primary caregiver for their ill family member
Men, women offer somewhat different views of the impact of taking parental or family leave on their job or career
Hispanics and those with lower incomes are particularly likely to say it was difficult to learn about leave benefits
About half of leave takers with a bachelor’s degree , higher incomes say they had to respond to work-related communication
Fewer than half of lower-income leave takers say their supervisor was very supportive when they took time off
Nearly all leave takers who received full pay say they went back to work for the same employer
Many lower-income parental-leave takers say they took on debt, went on public assistance or put off paying bills to cover lost wages or salary
About three-in-ten leave takers who received pay combined two or more benefits
About eight-in-ten leave takers who received pay used vacation days, sick leave or PTO they had earned
Leave takers with lower incomes and less education are the least likely to say they received at least some pay
Most who took less time off than they needed or wanted to cite loss of wages or salary as a reason
Just over half of parental-leave takers say they took less time off from work than they needed or wanted to
Length of parental leave varies considerably by gender, type of employer and income
Demographic differences emerge when looking at those who needed or wanted to take leave but weren’t able to
About half of workers say they received full pay when they took time off from work for parental, family or medical reasons
About a quarter of workers took time off for parental, family or medical reasons in the past two years
About half of leave takers with a bachelor’s degree, higher incomes say they had to respond to work-related communication

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