The leave landscape is changing rapidly. While federal leave policy has remained relatively static, state legislatures have become increasingly active in shaping leave requirements and related policies affecting disability absence and workforce participation. For employers, particularly those operating across multiple states, keeping pace with new requirements has become more and more complex. Yet the people writing these laws and those responsible for implementing them don’t always have opportunities to learn from one another before legislation is enacted. Without that dialogue, well-intentioned policies can create unintended implementation challenges for employers and employees alike.

To foster this dialogue, DMEC has expanded its state policy engagement efforts, creating opportunities for policymakers and employers to learn directly from one another. The goal is not to advocate for specific legislation, but to provide objective, implementation-focused education. This helps policymakers better understand how workplace leave policies function in practice while giving employers greater insight into how the policy is developed and the trends shaping future legislation.

The 2026 DMEC Annual Conference in Nashville brought this approach to life through two complementary sessions designed to foster meaningful exchange between policymakers and the employer community. The conversations reflected a broader shift in how workplace leave policy is being developed. As states continue to lead on leave legislation, policymakers are increasingly seeking practical implementation expertise alongside policy research to better understand how policies operate in practice, the challenges employers face, and lessons emerging from other states. Employers, in turn, benefit from greater insight into evolving policy trends and legislative intent as they prepare to implement new requirements.

Understanding the Policy Landscape

The conference featured a fireside chat between DMEC CEO Bryon Bass and  Virginia State Senator Jennifer Boysko, Alaska State Representative Carolyn Hall, and Alabama State Representative Ginny Shaver. Rather than focusing solely on the details of individual leave laws, the discussion explored the broader forces driving workplace leave policy across the country. Policymakers discussed the challenges that led them to pursue leave legislation, the factors that move proposals from ideas to legislative priorities, emerging policy trends, and how employers can better understand the legislative process.

“There’s going to be more states that will adopt paid parental leave and expand the coverage [beyond the] immediate family,” said Rep. Shaver. “For example, caregiving is a really important issue in Alabama [where] we have more than 1.1 million who are caregivers for someone else in their family, often unpaid.” 

Despite representing states with very different policy landscapes, the legislators shared several common themes. Workforce participation, talent attraction and retention, caregiving responsibilities, and demographic shifts continue to shape conversations around workplace and leave policies. Panelists also emphasized that successful policy development requires understanding of implementation realities, not simply identifying policy goals. Employers who share operational experience early in the legislative process can provide valuable context about administration, compliance, and workforce impacts before legislation is enacted.

For DMEC members, the session offered something that legislative tracking alone cannot provide: insight into how policymakers think, the information that shapes their decisions, and where workplace leave policy may be headed.

Bringing Implementation Challenges to the Table

The afternoon Policymaker Roundtable brought legislators together with 50 DMEC members, including employers, leave administrators, insurers, consultants, and other leave professionals for candid, small-group discussions about the realities of administering workplace leave. Participants shared implementation challenges and lessons learned, while policymakers provided insight into how legislation is developed, refined, and ultimately enacted. Designed as a shared learning opportunity, the session fostered mutual understanding, identified emerging workplace leave issues, and captured practical insights to inform future DMEC educational resources.

Across the room, similar themes emerged regardless of industry or organization size. Employers described the shared challenge of coordinating multiple state leave programs with federal requirements, navigating different eligibility rules, integrating payroll systems, and maintaining operations while employees are on leave. A common thread throughout the discussion was that implementation challenges are often easiest to address during policy development, before legislation becomes law.

Looking toward the future, participants discussed growing attention to caregiving, mental health, compassionate leave, menopause and andropause leave, volunteer service leave, safe leave, and other emerging leave types. Technology also emerged as a recurring theme, with participants emphasizing the need for systems that simplify administration, improve coordination, and reduce complexity for both employers and employees.

“We are humans first, and whether it’s having a baby, whether it is caring for your parents at the end of their lives, whether you’ve had a very serious illness, or someone in your family has, you’ve got to care for yourself or your loved one,” said Sen. Boysko.

Perhaps the clearest takeaway from the session was that effective state leave policy development depends on early engagement, continuous dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving. Legislators encouraged employers to engage before legislation is introduced, share implementation expertise throughout the policymaking process, and remain involved as bills move through committees and rulemaking. In turn, employers gained a deeper understanding of how legislation is developed and where their expertise can have the greatest impact.

Rep. Hall noted that, in developing Alaska HB 193, her policymaking team involved chambers of commerce, economic development corporations, small business owners, and DMEC throughout the process. “You guys have been fabulous with sharing resources and providing feedback, especially when it comes to unintended consequences that we might not be thinking of,” she said. “We also worked with my legislative colleagues and had great conversations with constituents.” 

Strengthening the Connection Between Policy and Practice

As workplace leave policy continues to evolve, meaningful dialogue between policymakers and employers has never been more important. By creating opportunities for those conversations, DMEC is helping ensure that future policies are informed by the real-world experience of the people responsible for putting them into practice. The insights shared in Nashville will help shape future educational resources, identify emerging trends, and strengthen the dialogue between those who write leave policy and those who administer it.

DMEC serves as a trusted, nonpartisan resource that brings those perspectives together. Through its State Policy Resource Hub, policy briefs and resources, educational programming, one on one briefings, conference engagements, and partnerships with national policymaker organizations, DMEC creates opportunities for policymakers to learn from employer experience and for members to better understand the policy environment shaping workplace leave.

DMEC policy resources are available at no cost to legislative and executive government officials and staff. Create a free policymaker account or contact partners@dmec.org to access state-by-state analysis, policy briefs, and other resources.