When Nato Ivanashvili was working on her graduate degree at Syracuse University and gave birth to her son 11 months ago, graduate students like her did not have access to a paid family leave program.

Ivanashvili was reliant on her professors in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics’ global health department. They were helpful, Ivanashvili said, and allowed her to spend a few weeks at home after she gave birth.

While at home, Ivanashvili completed her schoolwork and teaching assistant duties remotely.

“It was extremely difficult,” Ivanashvili said. “But I had really big family support, and I had great professors … and administrative staff who were able to help me with that.”

But as of Jan. 1, graduate students such as Ivanashvili and other SU staff members will be able to apply for partially-paid family leave through a new state program.

A new policy, signed into law by New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo in April 2016, enables private employees to apply for paid family leave to welcome a newborn; adopted or fostered child; care for a seriously ill loved one; or assist when a family member is deployed abroad on active military duty.

The plan is being introduced over the course of four years. By 2021, workers will be eligible for up to 12 weeks of leave at 67 percent of their usual salary, or 67 percent of the state’s average weekly wage, whichever is smaller.

Ivanashvili said she thinks the new plan will make life easier for working parents. She added, though, that the partial salary may still not be enough to make family leave financially possible for everyone.

Heather Thompson, an administrative assistant in SU’s earth sciences and science teaching departments, just got home from a honeymoon with her husband, whom she married in August 2017. She said she’s excited to start a family soon.

“I’ve wanted kids my whole life. I’m super ready,” Thompson said.

Thompson has planned for a child during past jobs, saving weeks of paid vacation to cobble together maternity leave.

“It’s been years of me being like, ‘OK, I should maybe not take this vacation time, because I’m going to need it later,’” Thompson said.

In March 2016, fewer than one in five full-time workers and about one in 20 part-time workers in the United States had access to paid family leave, according to the Brookings Institute.

Thompson said she’s hoping for a baby in 2019, which would give her 10 weeks at home with her newborn. She said the pay cut would be significant — 55 percent of her usual salary. But the time at home to recover from childbirth and bond with her baby would be worth the cost, Thompson said.

“I went home … all excited to tell my husband about this and the look of relief on his face (was) just like, ‘Ah, it’s better than nothing.’” Thompson said.

The U.S. is the only developed country in the world that lacks a nationwide paid parental leave policy, according to the Pew Research Center. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act only provides unpaid leave, which is financially inaccessible for many workers.

Workers who take time off for caregiving may be viewed more negatively by employers and coworkers when they return, said Sarah Hampson, an assistant professor of politics, philosophy and public affairs at the University of Washington, Tacoma.

“The policy allows you to stop being an ideal worker for a little while, and it doesn’t allow other people to stop doing that who don’t have these caregiving needs, and that can stigmatize you,” Hampson said.

Hampson said she worries graduate students might not feel they are able to take advantage of the policy, either because of concerns about how it will affect relationships with faculty supervisors and coworkers, or because there is no one in the department who can take over their duties while they’re away.

“As a graduate student, you are very conscious about the ways in which this might screw up your career,” Hampson said.

Despite the potential drawbacks, Hampson, Ivanashvili and Thompson all said the new state policy is a step in the right direction for New York.

“Somebody put it into perspective to me once: ‘It is illegal to separate puppies from their mothers before eight weeks, and in the U.S., it is standard that women are expected to go back to work after six,’” Thompson said. “So it’s definitely a game-changer.”

Published on January 23, 2018 at 8:52 pm

Contact Madeleine: mdavison@syr.edu