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After decades of activism, District of Columbia policymakers passed the D.C. Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act (UPLA) in 2016. It allowed D.C. to follow in the footsteps of California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York in establishing a paid family and medical leave program. D.C.’s program began collecting premiums in July 2019, and workers became eligible for leave benefits in July 2020, four months into the global COVID-19 pandemic.
This brief by Nat Baldino and Rocio Perez evaluates the rollout of Washington, D.C.’s paid leave program based on available data and interviews with community-based organizations. This report highlights the barriers to access and equity in D.C.’s program, particularly for those being paid low wages, as well as the D.C. government’s efforts to improve the program. It highlights the need for an implementation process built on a strong equity framework, which centers the workers who are least likely to be able to access the program.
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