Trump administration officials promised three months of paid maternity leave and expected to receive all benefits after the Biden government took over, but were disappointed to have their requests denied, according to a new report.
The Politician reported that Trump’s nominees received mixed messages about the continuation of his leave due to the end of his term in the White House and, in some cases, were surprised to find that as soon as January 20 arrived, his benefits would be withdrawn.
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“I could have left earlier, but I didn’t because I was told ‘hey, you have paternity leave coming’, and if I knew you wouldn’t be able to use your paternity leave and you are really going to work hard when you have a new baby and then get fired, he probably would have made a different decision, “a former senior Trump official told the channel.
The official said he took a vacation just three weeks after his wife gave birth in December, and then had to go back to work to help the government after the January 6 riot. He was under the impression that he would not miss the remaining nine weeks of paid leave, which was supposed to be worth at least $ 20,000.
A husband and wife who worked for the Department of Homeland Security said they were specifically told that their benefits would be treated in the same way as if they were federal career workers and, as such, expected to have a paid vacation even after their jobs ended. at the end of Trump’s term. On January 5, less than three weeks after the baby was born, human resources said it had been a mistake, the report said.
“It’s one thing if you have a family, if you have a family member who works for the government,” said the husband. “But we were both government employees, so we’re missing out on our health care opportunities and our income, so it’s very scary to have a premature baby at home and not know if you’re going to have an income or health insurance.”
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The couple sent a letter to the DHS review team in Biden on January 13 asking for continued benefits. Five days later, they received a response denying their request.
“This is not what you expected to hear, but I think I also knew that this was the most likely outcome,” said the reply. “I am sorry to be the bearer of this news and I am sorry to have no other news.”
Now, the authorities face increasing pressure to find a new job and, at the same time, take care of a newborn.
A current White House official blamed the Trump administration for the unfortunate circumstances.
“We understand that some Trump nominees, including a handful currently on parental leave, sent last-minute requests to remain on the government’s payroll,” the official told Politico. “As these requests were received so close to Induction Day … there was no way to implement an exception to the rule in a way that is fair to all outgoing nominees, including many who resigned as expected without making claims for extraordinary benefits. . “
The White House official said Trump officials had options to purchase health insurance through the COBRA or the Affordable Care Act. According to the Politico, Trump employees still have government health insurance for 31 days after they leave.
Fox News approached the White House for further comments on the Politico’s report, but they did not respond immediately.
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The 12 weeks of paid leave offered to federal workers came as a result of the Federal Employees Paid Leave Act, which was passed in December 2019 and went into effect in October 2020. It requires workers to agree to continue working for another 12 weeks after leave, but it does not say whether the government can waive this requirement.
Biden came out in support of the law when it passed.
“It is past time for every American to have 12 weeks paid leave to meet their own health needs or care for any of their loved ones,” he said at the time.