Tell Congress: Pass Permanent Paid Leave Now in COVID-19 Relief Package

From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):

Paid leave saves lives, during the pandemic and always. Congress let it expire in December. We must include it in the next COVID-19 relief package.

Join us at https://action.momsrising.org/letter/permanent_paidleave_congress to tell Congress this isn’t negotiable, and they need to act quickly to pass permanent paid leave immediately.

The research is clear: Paid leave saves lives and helps flatten the curve. In places where workers gained access to the limited emergency paid sick leave Congress passed last year, there were 15,000+ fewer cases per day. [1]

Further, paid leave is a cost-effective tool for public health and economic recovery. Even before the pandemic, workers and their families lost an estimated combined $22.5 billion in wages each year due to a lack of paid family and medical leave. [2] The lack of access to paid leave also leads to higher costs in unemployment, hospitalizations, and health care, and compounding financial losses.

We need Congress to pass the President’s American Rescue Plan. This plan includes the reinstatement and strengthening of emergency paid leave as a critical part of COVID relief. This will save lives by preventing the spread of the virus, conserve health care resources, and save the jobs of workers and families across America.

*Click here to add your name to our letter to Congress urging them to act quickly to pass permanent paid leave.

Whether it’s to care for a newborn you swear already smiles, a mom who is severely ill, or a spouse battling cancer, or COVID or both, being there for family is what matters. We need permanent paid leave for all, and we need it now.

Don’t forget to add your name to our letter and we’ll deliver it this week. Be sure to forward this email to your friends and family so they can take action too.

Together we’re a powerful force for women and families.

PS: Personal experiences are powerful and can make a HUGE difference in helping elected leaders understand how public policies impact families. We want to hear more from YOU! Can you take a second and follow the link below to share your personal story about how having, or NOT having, access to job-protected paid leave has impacted your family in the pandemic? https://action.momsrising.org/survey/COVID19_Stories/

References:

[1] Health Affairs: COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Has Helped Flatten The Curve In The United States
[2] CNBC.com: Nearly 2.2 million women left the workforce between February and October