From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):
Back in 1993 two HUGE things happened. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was signed into law and the movie Jurassic Park broke box office records.
Now, 25 years later Jurassic Park will see its second reboot–with new and improved dinosaurs and modernized special effects! But our UNPAID national family and medical leave laws are stuck in 1993 and haven’t evolved to meet the needs of contemporary working families!
Tell Congress, our family and medical leave laws need a reboot too at http://action.momsrising.org/sign/FMLA25/. We need PAID family and medical leave so all people can care for their families without fear of losing their job or damaging their family’s finances.
The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world without some form of paid family/medical leave. We are behind the times. Nothing should keep you from caring for a loved one battling cancer, a parent nearing their final days, or bonding with a new baby. But that is exactly what happens for far too many U.S. working families.
The FMLA, which turns 25 in just a few weeks, is an important law that has been used over 200 million times and has helped many families. [1]
But (big, Brachiosaurus-sized BUT here…) it was always meant to be a starting point, not the stopping point. Here’s why: It doesn’t cover all working people and the fact that it’s unpaid means millions who are eligible to use FMLA can’t because they can’t afford unpaid time away from work. Meanwhile, only 15% of working people have access to paid family and medical leave through their employer right now. [2]
That stat makes us want to ROAR like angry dinosaurs!
Can our paid leave policies be better? You bet “Jurassican” (We couldn’t help ourselves with this one…)
Working families need a paid family and medical leave policy that is more than just maternity and paternity leave. We need an insurance plan that provides a meaningful length of leave, is accessible to all working people, covers all families, and is affordable, cost-effective and sustainable for workers, employers, and taxpayers.
We need a program that has sustainable funding – like insurance-style programs that lift the financial burden off of individual businesses and can help keep people in the jobs they need.
-Add your name now and tell Congress we want a reboot of our leave laws. Nothing less will do.
That kind of reboot is good for families, and businesses, and our economy. It’s so good it makes us flip for joy!
Whether it’s to care for a newborn you swear already smiles, a mom who is severely ill, or a spouse battling cancer, being there for family is what matters. No one should permanently lose their job when urgent family matters arise.
That’s why over 177 countries already have some form of paid leave. It’s time for us to catch up.
*The more of us who take action, the faster we’ll bring our policies out of prehistoric times. So please share this action link on social media (like Facebook and Twitter) and invite friends to take action too. http://action.momsrising.org/sign/FMLA25/?t=6&akid=10204%2E2540879%2E-MXnv0
Together we’re a powerful force for women and families.
P.S. Nearly everyone at some point needs to re-arrange their lives to recover from their own serious illness, provide care for a loved one, or to care for a new or adopted child. Whether it’s to care for a newborn you swear already smiles, a mom who is ill, or a spouse battling cancer, being there for family is what matters. You shouldn’t have to give up a paycheck to do it. Lawmakers and decision-makers need to know just how important paid family leave is to American families. What has your experience been? Share it here and we’ll deliver it to lawmakers to help them understand why they need to give our leave laws a reboot!
[1] Huffington Post: 200 Million Reasons to Support Paid Family & Medical Leave [2] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017, September). Employee Benefits in the United States National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2017 (Tables 16 and 32). Retrieved 16 October 2017, from https://action.momsrising.org/go/30763?t=11&akid=10204%2E2540879%2E-MXnv0
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