Paid Sick Leave and Childcare

Unlike most developed countries, the U.S. lacks a federal paid sick leave policy. As a result, many workers must choose between losing earnings and attending to childcare responsibilities. To date, 14 states and the District of Columbia have adopted paid sick leave mandates that provide up to seven days of paid leave per year that can be used for family responsibilities and healthcare. In this study, we estimate the effects of state paid sick leave mandates on parents’ time spent providing childcare using time diaries from the 2004–2022 American Time Use Survey. Findings from difference-in-differences estimators suggest that post-mandate, parental time spent providing childcare increases by 4.9%. Effects are generally stronger among women and parents with younger children. Overall, our findings suggest that paid sick leave mandates allow parents to better balance work and family responsibilities.