The United States is one of the few countries in the world without a national paid family and medical leave program, so some states are attempting to fill in the gap left by the federal government and are offering leave initiatives that supporters say benefit both families and the economy.
The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, ranked states according to their paid family and medical leave programs in its recently released report “Care Matters: A 2026 Report Care on Care Affordability and Access.”
States that scored the highest were Minnesota, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Oregon and Virginia. The report explains that states received high marks for covering all workers; having an inclusive definition of family; offering broad eligible uses for leave, such as family caregiving needs; and offering more than 12 weeks of benefits, among other metrics.
“Such leave is vital to support parents’ bond with newborn children, and for individuals to take care of their own or a loved one’s serious illness,” the Century Foundation writes in its report. “This leave is vital for the health and well-being of families, and also supports families’ economic security during periods where they cannot work due to health care needs. “
Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., have paid family leave programs, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. The other states that have mandatory paid family leave programs are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, Delaware and Massachusetts. Virginia is the most recent state to pass paid family and medical leave legislation: Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a paid leave bill into law in May.
At the federal level, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allows eligible employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave, but there is no federal law that mandates paid leave.
Virginia is the first state in the South to enact paid leave, the Century Foundation noted. According to a press release issued by Spanberger’s office in May, the program will cover more than three million workers in the commonwealth.
“Under this landmark law, hardworking Virginians will have the freedom to take care of loved ones, recover from illness, and spend time with their newborns — all with the confidence that they will keep their paychecks,” Spanberger said in the release. “Because no one should have to choose between spending time with their newborn and paying their bills. No one should have to drain their savings or fall behind on rent because a loved one gets sick. And no one should be forced to return to work while facing a serious illness.”
Spanberger added that the legislation will help small- and mid-sized businesses offer benefits they couldn’t previously afford. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research group, noted the benefits of paid leave for businesses in a 2021 report that advocated for a national paid leave program.
“Paid leave benefits businesses by improving retention and productivity and boosting labor force participation,” the CBPP wrote.
The Century Foundation also ranked states on policies covering paid sick days as well as safe days, paid time off that can be used to recover from an illness, care for a sick family member, or respond to a public health emergency or domestic and sexual abuse.
The states that scored highest for their sick leave programs were Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, California and Michigan. All of those states’ policies cover most workers, use inclusive definitions of family, and include safe days in their program.
“It should be common practice that when someone is sick, has a sick child, or doctors appointments they need to get to, they should be able to take time off work without worrying about losing income or their jobs,” the Century Foundation wrote.
There are a total of 18 states that have paid sick day laws. The other states that have paid sick day laws are Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. The District of Columbia also has a paid sick leave law.
