A Better Balance, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), and The National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy (TYP Collaborative) released a new report, “Young Workers Speak Out: New Perspectives on the Need for Paid Leave,” providing the first-of-its kind analysis of Gen-Z’s views on the need for paid family and medical leave and paid sick time.
In the public conversation, paid leave is typically stereotyped as a need for workers, especially moms, between ages 30-40. But, as the report highlights, youth workers are a large segment of the American work and care force—there are 3 million gen-z caregivers, distributed nearly equally by gender—and they face unseen barriers to their ability to stay afloat financially while caring for their health and loved ones.
Based on in-depth interviews with a group of 11 workers aged 18-29 from states across the country, our analysis reveals that without a national law ensuring that all workers are able to care for themselves and their loved ones, many young workers are left to choose between their personal or financial wellbeing.
Key findings from our case study analysis include:
- Despite the growing number of state paid leave laws, young people are disproportionately concentrated in low-wage, low-hours, part-time, and seasonal positions where they are excluded from access to this benefit. A lack of access to paid leave leads to long-term financial instability and disconnection from the workforce.
- Young workers face extreme barriers in utilizing paid leave even when they should be entitled to it, including fear of retaliation, confusion about the different forms of leave that exist, difficulty finding co-workers to cover shifts, and generally unsupportive workplace cultures.
- A lack of access to paid leave can have a lasting negative impact on young workers who are pushed out of the workforce due to their health or caregiving needs at a key point for their growing careers. Young workers particularly recognize the negative effect a lack of paid leave has on their mental health.
- Despite barriers, young people desire access to information on their rights and benefits and express the belief that everyone should be entitled to paid leave.
This report provides key policy recommendations for creating universal paid leave and paid sick time laws that meet the needs of the emerging workforce.
“Young workers can’t grow and thrive in their careers without access to workplace supports that actually meet their needs,” said Inimai Chettiar, President of A Better Balance. “Our analysis shows that young people want to engage with these issues. In a country that stands nearly alone in having no national paid leave program, young people are sending a stark message that this needs to change now—and our elected officials need to listen.”
“The need to take time to care for yourself or a loved one is universal, and young workers are no exception to that. Young people know that access to paid leave means the ability to care for a family member with a disability, manage a mental health issue without fear of financial ruin, or feel confident applying for a new job while pregnant knowing they’ll be able to take paid leave and return,” said Carmen McCoy, Staff Attorney at A Better Balance.
“Young workers, and especially young workers of color, are often trapped—by design— in a vicious cycle of low-paying, low-quality jobs that do not give them time to care for themselves or loved ones. Without access to paid leave, they are more likely to become disconnected from the workforce when caregiving needs arrive, further compounding their disadvantage in the workforce. The young workers we spoke to have a bold and clear vision of the tools they need to not just survive but thrive. It is beyond time for policymakers and advocates to make space for that vision,” said Nat Baldino, Policy Analyst at CLASP.
“This report highlights the urgent need for federal paid leave policies that center the voices of young workers, especially Black and Brown youth. Young people recognize how workplace power dynamics shape their lives, yet their needs are frequently ignored, and their voices excluded from discussions on paid leave. It’s time for reforms that build an inclusive and equitable workforce for all,” said Kathy Tran, Power Building Strategist at the National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy.
