Monthly Archive for May, 2012

An Underhanded Threat to Working Families in Louisiana and Throughout the Country

Published on May 30, 2012 in Vicki Shabo and Work & Family. 0 Comments

Melissa Flournoy, President and CEO, Louisiana Progress

Vicki Shabo, Director of Work and Family Programs

Over the past year, some workers and their families have rested a little easier knowing they will be able to recover from illness or help a family member do so without sacrificing much-needed income. That’s because, since this time last year, lawmakers in Connecticut and Seattle joined with workers, advocates and business owners to become the first state and the fourth city to guarantee workers the right to earn paid sick days.

These victories have shown that progress for working families is possible, particularly when it comes to common sense policies like paid sick days that benefit workers, families, businesses and the economy. That’s why, today, there are promising paid sick days legislation and campaigns in more than 20 states and cities around the nation.

But opponents of paid sick days also bolstered their efforts in the last year – and Louisiana is their current target. The latest tactic is to strip local authorities of their right to pass basic workplace protections like paid sick days through state-level “preemption” legislation. These bills are underhanded and dangerous.

We saw this tactic in action in Wisconsin last year when the state legislature preempted Milwaukee’s popular, voter-approved paid sick days measure. It was a direct denial of local democracy and took away a law that would have done a lot to meet the needs of the city’s working families. Hundreds of thousands of workers in Milwaukee – and throughout Wisconsin – remain without paid sick days, and local authorities in Wisconsin now have their hands tied.

The Louisiana state legislature may take the same harmful action before the state’s legislative session ends this week. The preemption bill, Senate Bill 521, would eliminate the right of Louisiana’s cities and parishes to even consider paid sick days legislation. The state Senate approved the measure 37-0 without any real debate and the state House could vote on it at any minute, moving it ever closer to becoming state law.

More than 600,000 workers in Louisiana don’t have the right to earn paid sick days to recover from common illnesses, care for their families or get necessary preventive care. Working women, who are often their families’ primary caregivers and sole or co-breadwinners, face impossible choices between their own health and the health of their families when illness strikes if they don’t have this basic right. Low-wage workers and those in the service, hospitality and restaurant industries are particularly vulnerable because very few have paid sick days through their employers and their families too often already live on the brink of financial disaster. If S.B. 521 becomes law, cities and parishes in Louisiana will lose the chance to give them the support and protection they need.

Louisiana lawmakers must not deny working families the security they need to be good workers and good family members. House Speaker Chuck Kleckley (R – Lake Charles) and all members of the Louisiana House have a chance to take a stand and reject this dangerous and harmful bill. Working families in the state will suffer if they fail to do so.

Louisiana Progress is a nonpartisan organization which encourages citizens across the political spectrum to promote effective public policy that moves Louisiana forward without leaving fellow citizens behind. We advocate for policies that strengthen the middle class, protect the less advantaged, and equalize opportunity for Louisiana’s working families.

The National Partnership for Women & Families leads the national paid sick days coalition. The nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group is dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family.

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UPDATE, 6/7/2012: Senate Bill 521 was signed by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on June 7th and is now law.

UPDATE, 5/30/2012: Senate Bill 521 passed the Louisiana House 90-4 on Thursday, May 31st. It is now in the hands of Governor Bobby Jindal. If Governor Jindal doesn’t veto the bill, it will become law. Contact the governor today to make sure he knows what is at stake for Louisiana families and the importance of stopping this dangerous bill.

America’s Women and Families Deserve a Vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act

Published on May 30, 2012 in Sarah Crawford and Workplace Fairness. 0 Comments

Director of Workplace Fairness

Last month, the nation recognized Equal Pay Day – the day that marked how far into 2012 women had to work for their wages to catch up with the wages paid to men in 2011. Next week, the United States Senate has the opportunity to address this appalling wage gap by advancing much-needed legislation called the Paycheck Fairness Act. 

Closing the wage gap is of paramount importance to women, families and our economy. Women working full time in the United States are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men, resulting in $10,784 in lost income each year. For women of color, the gap is even worse: African American women and Latinas are paid just 62 cents and 54 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to white men.

These losses are striking when you consider that nearly 15 million households in this country are headed by women, that nearly 30 percent of them live in poverty, and that women are the primary or co-breadwinners for two-thirds of families. Thousands of dollars in lost wages can have seriously damaging effects on these families and our economy.

A recent analysis by the National Partnership shows just how much women lose. If the wage gap were eliminated, a full-time working woman would have enough money each year for approximately: 92 more weeks of food (nearly two years’ worth); seven more months of mortgage and utilities payments; 13 more months of rent; 35 more months of family health insurance premiums (nearly three years’ worth); or 2,751 additional gallons of gas.

We know from previous research and analyses that this punishing wage gap exists regardless of personal choices like education or occupation. And at the rate it’s improving (less than a half a cent per year) it will take another four decades before we see an end to it. That is, unless members of Congress offer a plan to close the gap and give it the attention and consideration it rightfully deserves.

The Paycheck Fairness Act is that plan. The bill would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963; prohibit retaliation against workers for discussing their salaries; recognize employers with good pay practices; and provide assistance to businesses, especially small ones, that need help adopting them. It would create a negotiation skills training program for women and girls and enhance federal agencies’ investigative and enforcement abilities.

The House of Representatives recognized the need for the Paycheck Fairness Act when it passed it in the 110th and 111th Congresses, but the bill fell two votes short in a procedural Senate vote during the 111th Congress. It has been reintroduced in the current Congress and it faces another procedural vote.

Lawmakers say that they value families. This modest, common sense legislation offers a chance to prove it. Next week’s vote isn’t even about the merits of the Paycheck Fairness Act. It is simply a vote to give the bill the consideration it – and tens of millions of women and families throughout the country – deserves.

Congress must do what’s right for the women and families in their states or districts by advancing and then passing the Paycheck Fairness Act. No more excuses and no more political posturing. Women’s work is essential. And women’s wages are essential. Now is not the time for Congress to turn its back on America’s women and their families.

As Older Americans Month Draws to a Close, Let’s Not Forget the Older Adults and Caregivers Who Need Us

Published on May 29, 2012 in Vicki Shabo and Work & Family. 0 Comments

Vicki Shabo, Director of Work and Family Programs

May is Older Americans Month, a time to honor and show appreciation for the older adults in our lives and our communities. But it’s also a time to reflect on their needs and the needs of their caregivers. Older adults – both those still in the workforce and those cared for by working adult children or professional caregivers – would benefit greatly from family friendly policies that honor workers’ commitments at home and on the job. Paid sick days and paid family and medical leave insurance are chief among these policies.

An increasing number of older adults are working well past traditional retirement age. Today, about 30 percent of adults over age 65 are employed. The economy and deflated retirement savings have forced many to stay in the workforce. Yet our workplace policies have not adapted. Older adults are more likely than others to suffer from health conditions, including chronic conditions that require regular care, but many older workers don’t have access to paid sick days or paid leave, which would allow them to take the time they need to protect their health without risking their income. It’s a losing situation for older adults and the employers who depend on them.

To make matters worse, our workplace policies also don’t reflect the increasing number of workers who are serving as family caregivers to older adults. There at least 43.5 million caregivers of adults who are over 50 in the United States. And most of them have paying jobs in addition to their caregiving responsibilities. These caregivers need access to workplace supports like paid sick days that allow them to care for their own health and the health of their loved ones without risking their jobs. They also need access to paid family leave insurance so they are able to care for seriously ill parents or spouses without jeopardizing their financial stability.

But family caregivers aren’t the only ones providing the care our nation’s older adults need. Professional caregivers, or direct care workers, often provide 24/7 care to our loved ones, but they face poor working conditions, few workplace protections and low wages. They tend to our ill and aging population, too often without paid sick days to care for their own health. To meet the demands of an aging population, we need a caregiver workforce that is better paid, better respected and better trained. Direct care workers need paid sick days and family and medical leave insurance so they can take care of themselves and their own families.

The population of older adults in the United States is expected to swell to 20 percent of the population, or 72 million people, by 2030 – making policies like paid sick days and paid family and medical leave insurance more important and urgent than ever before. Older adults and those who care for them will face ever-growing challenges unless our public policies are updated to reflect demographic realities.

To be a nation that truly honors older Americans and those who care for them, we need a new commitment to family friendly policies that support workers, caregivers and individuals who need care. As Older Americans Month draws to a close, let’s remind members of Congress and lawmakers at all levels that passing paid sick days and paid leave standards are increasingly important steps in giving the older adults in our lives the support they need and deserve. The time is now.

New Caregiver Protections for Military Families Are a Step in the Right Direction

Published on May 25, 2012 in Sarah Crawford and Workplace Fairness. 2 Comments

Director of Workplace Fairness

Cross-posted from Family Caregiver Alliance.

Our nation’s service members make enormous sacrifices for our country – and so do their families. When a parent, spouse, child or sibling is deployed, family members often must rearrange their lives to cope with the departure of their loved one; that may involve everything from moving to a new home, to finding or changing a job, to making complex financial and legal arrangements, to taking in a child, to rescheduling child care, and much more. And when a service member returns from duty injured and in need of medical care, family members often need to take time away from work to assist them.

Congress acknowledged these sacrifices and challenges in 2008 when it expanded access to job-protected leave provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to military family members. Certain military family members were guaranteed up to 26 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to help care for service members injured in combat and up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to address situations that arise when a service member has been notified of impending active duty or deployment.

But in 2008, Congress only guaranteed access to FMLA leave to certain military family members. That’s why, more recently, Congress again passed an amendment aimed at increasing military families’ access to the leave they need. With more than two million service members having been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan alone, these changes are both welcome and necessary. This time, the right to take FMLA leave was clearly extended to family members of veterans whose combat injuries require care, as well as family members of deployed active duty service members (such leave had previously been limited to family members of the reserves and national guardmembers). It also expanded the definition of military caregiver leave to cover serious injuries or illnesses that result from the aggravation of a preexisting condition in the line of duty.

In January, the Obama administration announced its intention to ensure expanded FMLA rights for military family members become a reality. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is now in the process of developing the regulations necessary to implement Congress’ most recent changes.

The proposed regulatory changes are a major victory and step forward for nearly 200,000 military family members who will now be eligible to take the time necessary to address new realities and challenges caused by a family member’s call to duty. Thousands of family members will now be eligible to take time off to care for an injured service member or veteran. The benefits for service members who need care, their caregivers and their family members will be significant.

As part of the implementation process, the National Partnership for Women & Families and more than 60 other organizations recently recommended improvements to DOL’s proposed regulations that would strengthen and make more effective the protections guaranteed by the FMLA. Among other recommendations, we urged the department to ease the requirements governing the evidence veterans must provide in order for their family members to qualify for leave. We also encouraged the department to expand the types of situations that may necessitate leave when a family member is deployed. Finally, we suggested changing the regulations to allow same-sex partners to take leave to care for a partner injured in service.

These new caregiver protections for service members and their families are an enormous step in the right direction for families and the country, but there is much more to be done to protect all workers who need leave.

Congress needs to make the FMLA available to more people. Nearly half of the workforce is not currently eligible for the leave it provides. It’s time to amend the FMLA to cover businesses with 25 or more employees, instead of those with 50 or more employees. And Congress should pass the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act (H.R.2364/S.1283), which would expand the definition of family member under the FMLA to include domestic partners, parents-in-law, adult children, siblings, grandchildren and grandparents.

Perhaps most importantly, Congress should prioritize a paid leave standard for workers who need to take leave to care for a loved one, for their own serious health conditions or for a new child. The FMLA was an important first step in guaranteeing workers access to unpaid leave nearly 20 years ago, but many of those who are eligible for it cannot afford to take it. Without paid leave, workers are forced to jeopardize their economic security and their families’ health when serious medical emergencies and conditions arise.

Congress and the Department of Labor have made great strides in strengthening the FMLA for military families in recent years. The nation needs even more. Paid leave and expanded FMLA access are necessary next steps if we are to truly support working families and caregivers. We can’t afford to wait.

For more information, visit Workplace Fairness, National Partnership for Women & Families.

For information on caregiving and veterans, Family Caregiver Alliance has a Caregiving & Veterans web page with links to articles, publications and other helpful resources.

There’s No Place Like (A Medical) Home

Published on May 23, 2012 in Health Care, Lee Partridge, Quality and Reform. 0 Comments

Lee Partridge, Senior Health Policy Advisor

Today, fully 1/3 of our health care spending is wasted on payments for medical mistakes and poor quality care. We also have a system that values expensive technology over basic primary and preventive care, rewards volume of care over outcomes or appropriate care, and makes no distinction in payment based on quality or health outcome. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, things are looking up.

The health care reform law is advancing a promising approach to addressing these problems: the “Patient-Centered Medical Home.” At the National Partnership, we consider medical homes to be one of the most promising models for delivering truly patient-centered care — they improve access to primary care, help coordinate patient care across settings and providers, and make patients, family caregivers and providers partners in making decisions about care.

Recently, I spoke with the American Academy of Pediatrics about the potential of patient-centered medical homes, how families can get involved in improving quality, and how practices can support patients as partners in care. Take a look!

 

New Resource: Repro Health Watch Highlights War on Women’s Health in the States

Published on May 21, 2012 in Andrea Friedman and Repro Health Watch. 0 Comments
Andrea Friedman

Andrea Friedman, Director of Reproductive Health Programs

Facts matter. When the facts about women’s health are a central part of the discussion about access to reproductive health care, the conversation changes – and now more than ever, we need that change.

In the past year, women’s health has faced attack after attack – and not just from Congress. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 135 new provisions restricting reproductive health and rights, 92 of which restricted access to abortion care, were instituted across 36 states in 2011. And already this year, state legislators have introduced 944 provisions related to reproductive health and rights, half of which would restrict abortion. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the “war on women” is nowhere near over.

With that in mind, the National Partnership for Women & Families is pleased to announce a new feature of our respected Women’s Health Policy Report — Repro Health Watch.  This new resource will highlight media coverage of attacks on women’s reproductive health care in each state, identify policy trends happening across state lines, and offer additional resources, including updates on litigation challenging restrictive new anti-choice and anti-birth control laws.

The website, www.ReproHealthWatch.org, features media coverage of developments in reproductive health policy in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, organized by state and by issue. In addition, readers may subscribe to email updates that link to articles, blogs and video coverage about these restrictions.

Repro Health Watch covers  key issue areas such as:

Abortion:  abortion bans; restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion services; TRAP laws (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers); and laws that directly interfere with the relationship between women and their doctors by interfering with a woman’s medical care through waiting periods, mandatory counseling, parental involvement laws or unnecessary medical procedures, such as mandatory ultrasounds.

Personhood initiatives:  legislative and ballot attempts to redefine life that would criminalize not just abortion but also some forms of contraception and reproductive technologies.

Refusal provisions: laws that allow health providers to refuse to provide certain medical services, such as abortion and contraception, based on their moral or religious beliefs.

Family planning:  access to contraception; attacks on Planned Parenthood; attacks on funding for family planning services; and restrictions that bar family planning funds from going to clinics that are affiliated with clinics that offer abortion services.

Comprehensive sex education: developments on state budgets and legislation that determines whether teens have access to comprehensive sex education, as opposed to abstinence only education.

The courts have been a critical safeguard against some encroachments on women’s rights and health.  Thus, Repro Health Watch also includes “In the Courts,” a section where readers can find basic information on how anti-choice laws are being challenged in the courts and links to more information.

We want to hear from you!  Repro Health Watch is meant to be a resource for you, so take a look – and if you have any thoughts or comments, please contact us at reprohealthwatch@nationalpartnership.org.

Beyond Mother’s Day: Continuing the Commitment to Working Mothers and Families

Published on May 14, 2012 in Debra Ness, Work & Family and Workplace Fairness. 1 Comment

Debra Ness, President, National Partnership

Cross-posted from the Huffington Post.

As families throughout the country were making their Mother’s Day plans, some lawmakers were similarly focused on America’s women. But unlike the short-lived events of Mother’s Day weekend, their attention was on the kind of support and family friendly policies mothers and working families need year round. We applaud the lawmakers who took action, and urge their colleagues to join them in advancing the kinds of meaningful paid leave, paid sick days, anti-discrimination and fair pay policies the nation urgently needs.

The sad truth is that becoming a mother in this country too often means the loss of a job and/or the beginning of financial hardship. That’s because women still suffer from rampant pregnancy and wage discrimination and enormous challenges that result from our failure to adopt 21st century workplace policies. And it’s not just women who suffer. All working families pay a price when women are without fundamental equality in the workplace.

Women are nearly half the workforce and the primary caregivers and sole or co-breadwinners in the majority of families today. So when women are fired, forced out of their jobs, and denied employment and promotion opportunities just because they become pregnant, families’ financial stability suffers – as does our productivity and our economy. Yet, despite legal protections for pregnant women having been in place for nearly 35 years, pregnancy discrimination is alive and well.

That’s why we were so pleased that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – an effort to stem rising pregnancy discrimination – was introduced in the House of Representatives. We applaud its sponsors. The bill would put in place the same workplace protections for women with pregnancy-related limitations as the protections already in place for similarly abled workers, and it would help ensure employers provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant women who want to continue in their jobs. It is a badly needed measure that would promote the kind of equality working women need and deserve.

Sadly, discrimination against women in the workplace doesn’t stop there. Wage discrimination is another unacceptable reality in this country – and it has a terrible impact on the economic security of families. The median yearly pay for a woman working full time is $10,784 less than a man’s in the United States. For working mothers, that means years’ worth of basic necessities for their families – such as groceries, rent, health insurance premiums, gas and more – lost each year.

Here, too, there’s a legislative solution. The Paycheck Fairness Act would close loopholes in existing laws, protect women from wage discrimination and promote basic fairness in our workplaces. Given the increasing importance of women’s wages to families and our economy, Congress must recognize what is at stake and prioritize its passage.

But addressing discrimination alone will not eliminate the challenges working mothers and families face. Every day, workers struggle to provide for their families while meeting their responsibilities at work because the nation lacks family friendly workplace policies like paid sick days. More than 44 million workers in the United States don’t have the right to earn a single paid day off to recover from illness or care for a sick child. The consequences for mothers and families can be devastating.

That’s why it was great that a recent Senate hearing focused on the Rebuild America Act. The bill is a powerful legislative package that includes a national paid sick days standard as defined by the Healthy Families Act. Held just in time for Mother’s Day, the hearing addressed the real challenges working people face in managing the dual demands of work and family. It started an important conversation among lawmakers that must continue.

Still, not all solutions have to be at the federal level. The National Partnership just released a new state-by-state analysis that shows how few states have policies that support working people when a new child arrives. While California and Connecticut fared well in the report, it found that most states are doing very little to support new parents and 18 states don’t have a single supportive policy in place that expands upon minimal federal standards. There is much more states can and should be doing to help working mothers and families, even as the findings underscore how badly we need federal solutions.

It was encouraging to see some enlightened members of Congress focus on these issues as Mother’s Day approached, but it was only a start. The nation needs real progress and we need it now. It’s time for lawmakers to prioritize and pass the kind of anti-discrimination protections and family friendly policies working families need. Doing so would be a Mother’s Day gift that makes a difference all year long, and much-needed evidence that our nation truly values families.

On Mother’s Day: Expecting Better for All Mothers and Working Families

Published on May 8, 2012 in Debra Ness and Work & Family. 0 Comments

Debra Ness, President, National Partnership

Cross-posted from the Huffington Post.

On Sunday, millions of mothers will be celebrated and honored — some for the first time, and others as part of a fun family ritual. But when the family fun and gift giving ends, we should all take a moment to think about the kind of help and support that would make a real difference for mothers year-round.

The sad truth is that millions of working mothers in this country find themselves without the support they need to care for their families and hold onto their jobs. A new state-by-state analysis from the National Partnership shows just how bad it is, particularly for new mothers and fathers.

Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help New Parents is a comprehensive look at federal and state laws that provide the kind of support working parents need to stay healthy and protect their economic security when a new child arrives. From access to paid leave to paid sick days to workplace rights for nursing mothers and more, we assessed the laws and graded each state based on the extent to which it has policies that support new parents (beyond the minimal standards set by federal law). The findings are surprising.

Only two states — California and Connecticut — show real leadership, receiving grades of “A-” for having done the most to support working parents.

An astounding18 states don’t have a single law that supports new parents beyond what federal law requires.

Most states are doing something, but not enough, for new parents.

And not a single state has done all it could to provide paid leave and other supportive policies.

Expecting Better paints a picture of a nation that is failing families — and it should be a wake-up call for lawmakers at every level.

What makes the grades in Expecting Better especially striking is that we know from past research, including two recent studies from Rutgers’ Center for Women and Work, that these policies have significant benefits. Paid leave and paid sick days, for example, promote the health and economic security of families, reduce reliance on public assistance, and benefit businesses through improved worker loyalty and reduced turnover. These policies are wise public investments that help working families and save the government and businesses money. They are truly win-win.

That’s why it is great that the Obama administration has proposed a state paid leave fund that would help foster state innovation and support states that want to create their own paid leave programs. And it is very encouraging that some members of Congress are working on a proposal for a national paid leave insurance program, which would greatly increase access to paid leave for America’s families. These are both critically important initiatives that would pave the way for a more family friendly nation.

The birth of a child should be a joyous event for new mothers and fathers — the beginning of many happy Mother’s and Father’s Days — not the cause of health threats and financial hardship or devastation. But that’s the sad reality for too many families in this country.

Our new report sends a clear and timely message: America’s families expect and deserve better. As a nation that claims to value families, we should put in place the state and federal policies that parents need.

New Study Shows It’s Time to Invest in Paid Leave for U.S. Workers and Families

Published on May 4, 2012 in Vicki Shabo and Work & Family. 1 Comment

Vicki Shabo, Director of Work and Family Programs

It is no secret that millions of women are both breadwinners and caregivers for their families, the country is rebuilding its economy, and – at the same time – many federal and state lawmakers are trying to figure out how to reduce spending. That’s why it couldn’t be timelier that a new study from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey’s Center for Women and Work, reveals the power that public policies can play in helping families when they need it most, while benefitting businesses and our economy.

The report, Policy Matters: Public Policy, Paid Leave for New Parents, and Economic Security for U.S. Workers, was commissioned by the National Partnership with generous funding from the Rockefeller Foundation. It is the first study to quantify the role that public policies play in enabling new parents to take leave when a child arrives. It shows, quite strikingly, what we have long suspected: New parents are more likely to take leave in connection with the birth of a child when they live in a state where public policies provide access to paid leave; at the same time, access to paid leave through paid leave insurance programs helps reduce workers’ dependence on government assistance.

According to the report, women who live in states that have some kind of paid leave program – either through temporary disability insurance or paid family leave insurance – are twice as likely to take paid leave following the birth of a child than women in states without these policies. In California, where a paid family leave program has provided paid leave to new parents and family caregivers since 2004, both women and men are more likely to take paid leave following the birth of a child than women and men in other states.

These findings may seem obvious but, when combined with other research results, the impact is considerable. We know from prior research that when workers are able to take paid leave, it leads to positive outcomes for their families, businesses and the economy. Paid leave enables new parents to take the time they need for their health and the health and development of their children while strengthening new mothers’ attachment to the labor force and their post-birth earnings. Paid leave also increases worker loyalty and decreases turnover. And, as this study and a prior Rutgers study show, when mothers take a short paid leave following the birth of a child and then return to work, they are less likely than mothers who keep working do not take leave to rely on public assistance and food stamps the year after birth. At a time when state budgets are stretched thin, giving workers access to paid leave offers clear savings for governments and taxpayers.

But in order to realize these benefits, workers must have access to paid leave. Unfortunately, workers in only a handful of states have a guarantee of paid leave in connection with childbirth; only about half of new mothers can take any form of paid leave to recover from childbirth and care for a new child; and only about one-tenth of workers have access to paid family leave through their employers to bond with their babies. That’s why this study is so important. It shows that the positive outcomes of paid leave could be experienced on a much larger scale, by more families, businesses and our economy, if policymakers made access to paid family and medical leave more universal. The study even shows the role that public policies can have in shaping culture by making it more acceptable for workers to take the time they need.

Policy Matters makes a strong case for public policies that improve access to paid leave. Fortunately, lawmakers and leaders are beginning to recognize the benefits and power of adopting such policies.

The Obama administration, for example, has proposed a state paid leave fund that would award competitive grants to states interested in establishing paid family and medical leave programs. The fund would foster state innovation, and could spur the enactment of more state paid leave programs and increase workers’ access to paid leave. It would be a great step forward for the country… but still only a start.

What the country really needs is a national standard to ensure that all workers have access to paid leave, no matter where they live. And that’s why we are so pleased that key members of Congress are working on a proposal to create a national paid leave insurance program. This would be a powerful, lasting way to increase access to and use of paid leave for working families – and the nation would benefit in many ways.

This study and others like it make a compelling case to establish a national paid leave program for parents and other family caregivers. It should be a priority now. It’s time for lawmakers to take note and take action on common sense policies that will help families, businesses and our economy.