From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):
Does anyone else feel like these past two years have been a blur (slowly raises hand), but in some ways it also feels very much like déjà vu?
For example, in 2020, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) with emergency paid leave, a temporary fix to help working families deal with issues arising from COVID-19. [1] Two years later, working families are still dealing with challenges at home, school and work – and an ongoing pandemic. We are once again asking for relief in the form of a temporary solution. We ask that Congress provide funding for President Biden’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan which includes a reinstatement of emergency paid sick days and family leave.
Congress must act now and reinstate emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave—act now at https://action.momsrising.org/sign/EmergencyPaidSickandFamilyLeave.
You might be asking yourself how we got here again. It’s simple, our care infrastructure continues to be inadequate and inequitable. We lack comprehensive workplace policies that support families in times of need without sacrificing their financial security, and unlike many industrialized nations, the United States has yet to enact a national permanent and comprehensive paid family and medical leave program. We do, however, have the opportunity for emergency paid leave and that’s where we need your support and for Congress to do its part too. Demand Members of Congress reinstate emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave for all families during this critical time.
Millions of moms and families are making difficult choices each and every day. They are often forced to choose between putting food on the table and welcoming a new child into their homes or watching their aging loved ones take their last breath. That’s why access to emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave is vital, it would help families who are faced with these impossible choices, take the time they need to welcome a new child, deal with a serious illness of a loved one, recover from COVID-19 or deal with their own serious illness. As we enter into year three of a global health crisis, reinstating paid sick days and paid family and medical leave is critical to the health and safety of workers and their families.
Emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave is beneficial to all. It’s for birthing parents who need time to recover, for women who are being pushed out of the workforce, over 2.3 million due in part to caregiving responsibilities. [2] It’s for small businesses aiming to retain employees and bolster morale, and it’s beneficial to our economic recovery moving forward. Studies have shown that employees who lack access to paid sick leave are more likely to go to work sick, spread contagious diseases and incur financial hardships. Passing emergency paid sick leave and paid family leave in the FFCRA helped flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases. [3] This is what’s needed now, policies that will support workers and their families when they need it the most. We all win with family friendly policies like paid sick days and paid leave.
We could go on and on about the benefits of paid sick days and paid family leave. Moms across the nation know the importance of having paid sick days and paid family leave, moms like Karen in Illinois who quit her job because she could not afford childcare and has no access to sick leave or new mom, Christina from Virginia who was caring for a new baby and a sick family member and whose husband did not have access to paid leave so he returned to work when their son was 11 days old. This is appalling. The truth of the matter is that we all have stories and shared connections and that’s what makes this movement so powerful.
Let’s raise our voices, share our lived experiences and let our members of congress know that we need emergency paid sick days and paid family leave for all!
P.S.– Personal experiences are powerful and can make a HUGE difference in helping elected leaders understand how public policies impact families so they can move change. 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 or affordable, quality child care has impacted your family in the pandemic? https://action.momsrising.org/survey/omicronstorypage
References:
[1] Paid Leave Under the Families First Coronavirus Act[2] Women Are Being Pushed Out Of The Workforce. The Private Sector Must Do More To Address This Crisis
[3] COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Has Helped Flatten The Curve In The United States
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