Virginia doesn't guarantee paid parental leave, but access is expanding nationwide

Paid family leave is still not mandated in Virginia, but new laws across the country are expanding access to benefits for expecting and new parents.

Why it matters: Studies have shown parental leave can lower the risk of developing postpartum depression and provide better interactions between the birthing parent and child.

The big picture: The U.S. guarantees 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid family leave for some employees, but doesn't have a paid federal parental leave policy.

• That means employers with 50 or more workers are required to offer qualifying employees three months off. They're just not required to pay them for it.
• Meanwhile, most countries guarantee paid maternity leave and paid paternity leave .

The latest: Pregnant people are now entitled to " reasonable accommodations ," like the ability to telework and take time off for health care appointments, thanks to the Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act , which went into effect last year.

• And because of the PUMP Act , breastfeeding parents are entitled to break time and a private place to pump (that's not the bathroom).

Zoom in: A bill that would have set up a kind of unemployment insurance covering up to eight weeks of paid leave (at 80%) and administered through Virginia Employment Commission passed the General Assembly this year, but was vetoed by the governor .

Without statewide requirements, there are two main ways to get wage replacement in Virginia during parental leave, and they can be combined:

1. Through your employer.

• Only about 27% of Americans working in the private sector have access to paid family leave when they welcome a new child, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau.
• And that leave can vary widely. State employees in Virginia, by far Richmond's largest employer, can receive eight weeks of paid parental leave .
• Meanwhile, Capital One, Richmond's largest private employer, offers 18 weeks paid maternity leave and eight weeks for other parents, per its website .

2. From short-term disability, if you're a birthing parent .

• Workers could have the option to purchase short-term disability insurance as an add-on before they're pregnant.
• In Virginia, paid family leave can be offered as a form of insurance .

What we're watching: With paid leave laws set to go into effect in 2026 in Delaware, Maine, Maryland and Minnesota, we'll see if there's any more movement in Virginia.

Go deeper: How to determine your paid family leave plan .