06.11.09
The FIRST Act authorizes $1.5 billion in grants to states so they can implement and improve their paid family leave programs. Under the bill, the leave can be used for several purposes, including the birth or adoption of a child, for a serious illness, or to take care of an ill family member.
“Almost half of all private sector workers do not have a single paid day off that they can use to care for themselves or a sick family member,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), author of H.R. 2460, the Health Families Act, which would require businesses with 15 or more employees to provide up to seven paid sick days a year to employees. “These workers put their jobs on the line every time they take a day off.”
Many workers lack of paid sick days was highlighted during the spring outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus. While public health officials warned workers to stay home from work if they were sick or had symptoms, many employees went to work anyway because they simply could not afford to stay home.
“Our failure to guarantee a minimum standard of paid sick days is a significant public health concern, as we witnessed during the H1N1 virus outbreak,” said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women. “Many of the workers who interact with the public every day are among the least likely to have paid sick days.”
Sick leave and paid family leave policies especially benefit women who are likely to be the primary caregivers of their children. Half of all working women have reported that they have missed work to care for a sick child; and nearly half of those workers say that they have to take unpaid leave to care for a family member. Witnesses emphasized that providing paid family leave and paid sick leave would be a major step toward creating workplaces that respect and empower work-family balance.
Created with flickrSLiDR.
"Achieving a sustainable work-life balance is of paramount concern for working women and their families,” said Deborah Frett, president of Business and Professional Women. “One-third of women believe that the difficulty of combining work and family is their biggest work-related problem, and nearly three-fourths think the government should do more to help.”
California’s Paid Family Leave insurance program, the first of its kind, provides workers with six weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care of a child. It also entitles workers to wage reimbursement to care for seriously ill children and family members. The FIRST Act would provide funds that could be used to raise awareness and improve the administration of programs such as California’s.
“Despite the barriers California’s PFL program has faced, it is a very successful program that helps workers balance work and family,” said Sandra Poole, the deputy director of the California Employment Development Department Disability Insurance Branch. “I hope other states follow California’s lead, and the grants provided under the FIRST Act will be of invaluable assistance to them as they implement their programs.”
Witnesses also pointed out that what is good for the employee is also good for the employer.
Allowing workers time to take sick leave reduces the risk of spreading disease to other workers or customers. It also can be done at little to no expense. Some studies say that the implementation of paid sick leave legislation in San Francisco came at minimal to moderate cost to employers according to Rajiv Bahtia, MD, the director of Occupational and Environmental Health for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The same program did not result in any job losses or have an impact on business. The District of Columbia and Milwaukee also have similar sick leave laws.
Family and Paid Sick Leave Crucial to Work-Life Balance, Witnesses Tell House Labor Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, DC—Witnesses told the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee today that expanding paid family leave and paid sick leave are necessary to help families balance work and family. Currently, only 8 percent of American workers have access to paid family leave, and almost half do not have access to a single day of paid sick leave. “It is unacceptable that this country, which is the number one economy in the world, can barely compete with developing nations when it comes to paid leave and sick days,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections subcommittee and sponsor of H.R. 2339, the Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions (FIRST) Act. “Leave has been taken more than 100 million times under the FMLA, most workers can’t take advantage of its provisions because they cannot afford to take unpaid leave. This is not only bad for workers and their families, but also for employers.”The FIRST Act authorizes $1.5 billion in grants to states so they can implement and improve their paid family leave programs. Under the bill, the leave can be used for several purposes, including the birth or adoption of a child, for a serious illness, or to take care of an ill family member.
“Almost half of all private sector workers do not have a single paid day off that they can use to care for themselves or a sick family member,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), author of H.R. 2460, the Health Families Act, which would require businesses with 15 or more employees to provide up to seven paid sick days a year to employees. “These workers put their jobs on the line every time they take a day off.”
Many workers lack of paid sick days was highlighted during the spring outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus. While public health officials warned workers to stay home from work if they were sick or had symptoms, many employees went to work anyway because they simply could not afford to stay home.
“Our failure to guarantee a minimum standard of paid sick days is a significant public health concern, as we witnessed during the H1N1 virus outbreak,” said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women. “Many of the workers who interact with the public every day are among the least likely to have paid sick days.”
Sick leave and paid family leave policies especially benefit women who are likely to be the primary caregivers of their children. Half of all working women have reported that they have missed work to care for a sick child; and nearly half of those workers say that they have to take unpaid leave to care for a family member. Witnesses emphasized that providing paid family leave and paid sick leave would be a major step toward creating workplaces that respect and empower work-family balance.
Created with flickrSLiDR.
"Achieving a sustainable work-life balance is of paramount concern for working women and their families,” said Deborah Frett, president of Business and Professional Women. “One-third of women believe that the difficulty of combining work and family is their biggest work-related problem, and nearly three-fourths think the government should do more to help.”
California’s Paid Family Leave insurance program, the first of its kind, provides workers with six weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care of a child. It also entitles workers to wage reimbursement to care for seriously ill children and family members. The FIRST Act would provide funds that could be used to raise awareness and improve the administration of programs such as California’s.
“Despite the barriers California’s PFL program has faced, it is a very successful program that helps workers balance work and family,” said Sandra Poole, the deputy director of the California Employment Development Department Disability Insurance Branch. “I hope other states follow California’s lead, and the grants provided under the FIRST Act will be of invaluable assistance to them as they implement their programs.”
Witnesses also pointed out that what is good for the employee is also good for the employer.
Allowing workers time to take sick leave reduces the risk of spreading disease to other workers or customers. It also can be done at little to no expense. Some studies say that the implementation of paid sick leave legislation in San Francisco came at minimal to moderate cost to employers according to Rajiv Bahtia, MD, the director of Occupational and Environmental Health for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The same program did not result in any job losses or have an impact on business. The District of Columbia and Milwaukee also have similar sick leave laws.
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