5/5/10: It is time for the federal government to make family leave a real benefit for federal employees, and not a mirage they cannot afford to use, NTEU National President Colleen Kelley told a Senate subcommittee yesterday. Review her testimony here.

“Being able to substitute leave without pay under the Family and Medical Leave Act with four weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child will make a significant difference in the lives of both parent and child,” said President Kelley. NTEU strongly supports paid parental leave.

President Kelley made that point as part of her testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on the Oversight of Government Management and the Federal Workforce. The body is chaired by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and was reviewing the steps the federal government can take to help agencies retain and empower their employees.

Along with paid parental leave—the House already has passed the measure, and a companion bill, S. 354 is pending in the Senate—Kelley called for broadened telework opportunities among federal employees; an emphasis on wellness programs, such as smoking cessation classes, walking groups and screening programs; expanded whistleblower rights; and other steps that contribute in positive ways to an employee’s work-life balance.

There is no time to lose, she told the subcommittee. “Today, the federal government is losing ground in areas important in attracting, retaining and empowering its workforce,” she said. “Employers who follow dated policies and practices that limit workplace flexibility do not serve the interests of either the employer or the employee—and when that employer is the federal government, it does not serve the interests of its citizens, either.”

President Kelley noted a study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research showing that younger workers are seeking greater work-life flexibility, and that current federal benefits do not meet their needs. The public policy group estimates that paid parental leave could prevent the departure of 2,650 federal employees a year, saving $50 million in turnover costs, Kelley said.

She applauded the support for wellness programs from Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director John Berry and the White House, and noted that this year’s call letter from OPM to health insurance carriers taking part in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) includes several proposals for such programs.

On the matter of the FEHBP, Kelley said the NTEU-supported provision to extend dependent care coverage to age 26 is a welcome development, but that NTEU “would like to explore the possibility of an earlier start date” than next Jan. 1 for that provision.

And on a related issue, the NTEU president underscored the importance to achieving a positive work-life balance of employees having a voice in their workplace. “If the workers can have a collective voice,” she said, “the effect is stronger.” “Sadly,” she added, “this is not the case” in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), where employees cannot bargain collectively. Kelley called for introduction in the Senate of a companion bill to H.R. 1881, introduced in the House by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), which would give TSA employees the right to collective bargaining.

“NTEU stands ready to participate in a meaningful dialogue with the federal government to make it possible for all our workers to lead healthier, well-balanced lives,” Kelley told the subcommittee.