More Details on Paid Parental Leave

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which was signed on December 20, 2019, includes the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA), which provides 12 administrative workweeks for paid parental leave for the birth of a child of an employee or the placement of a child with an employee for adoption or foster care. Paid parental leave is applicable to births or placements occurring on or after October 1, 2020. The employee does not have to use accrued annual or sick leave before being allowed to use paid parental leave. Paid parental leave must be used within 12 months of the date of the birth or placement of the child and does not accumulate for any subsequent use. FEPLA does not modify the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requirement of completion of at least 12 months of federal service. Therefore, if an employee has not completed this requirement, they would not be entitled to paid parental leave or any form of FMLA leave. Lastly, before paid parental leave commences, the employee must agree in writing to return to work for the agency for at least 12 weeks beginning on the date the leave ends. Additional information will be provided upon the Office of Personnel Management’s release of the final regulations.