Pennsylvania Capitol, Monday, December 22, 2025 (Photo by Peter Hall/Capital-Star)
A state Senate Democratic committee on Tuesday discussed a proposal to require Pennsylvania employers to provide 24 hours of paid leave each year for “minor needs.” The goal is to ensure that employees who care for family members, such as children or elderly parents, can attend medical appointments, attend school or respond to unexpected emergencies.
“This legislation answers the key question: ‘What is work-life balance?’” said Sen. Art Haywood (D-Montgomery), the bill’s author. “Employees are not just employees. They are also family members.”
The bill is based on the adopted law Massachusettsalthough it doesn’t go as far as implementing a family leave policy states, including New Jersey and California, according to panelists who testified Tuesday.
The proposal has not yet been presented and the exact wording has not been made public, but a the note is seeking co-sponsors was released last December.
Lonnie Golden, a professor of economics and human resources at Penn State and one of the panelists, said it would benefit both employees and bosses.
“There is evidence that it improves employee job satisfaction and, therefore, [employers] they are more likely to retain older, experienced staff,” Golden said.
Golden noted, however, that there may be some disadvantages for employers, especially when one member of a petite team needs time off.
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Blake Emmanuel, director of advocacy and policy at the Fund for Women and Girls, said the policy could be particularly beneficial for working women, who are also more likely to be the primary caregivers for their families.
“From a women’s perspective, we know that women perform the majority of caregiving roles,” Emmanuel said. “Data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor showed that women need to take more leave for family or medical reasons – 24% – compared to men, who need to take 17% and still have even more unmet needs.”
Emmanuel, a mother of children with disabilities, stated that this policy would greatly assist her when her children went to school, so she often attended these meetings each month.
Wallace Weaver, a spokesman for Haywood, said the bill’s language is still being refined, which includes: answers to questions about which employers will be obliged to provide leave and exactly what circumstances will qualify as “minor needs”.
