From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):
Here we are, 12 months into this pandemic, 500,000 people lost, and we still haven’t passed a permanent national paid leave law, even though the research is abundantly clear that paid leave in a pandemic saves lives, helps businesses, and keeps people in the jobs they need. [1] This is a no-brainer. And yet… we still don’t have permanent paid leave.
Not okay.
Add your name now at https://action.momsrising.org/sign/paidleave, demanding our members of Congress move quickly to pass permanent paid leave.
One person writes: “I’m writing this, rage-crying, while wearing a double mask and sitting with my mom while she gets her chemo treatment (and I’m texting my husband to make sure my kids are logged into zoom school). This is sandwich generation life in 2021.
Three months ago my mom was hospitalized and diagnosed with cancer, forcing my family, from across state lines, to scramble to figure out how to arrange a patchwork of time off–mostly unpaid–to care for Mom. Of all my siblings, I’m the only one who has paid leave, and I’m the one who lives the furthest away.”
No family is alone in this struggle. Many families find themselves in a similar situation–forced to figure out how to care for themselves or a loved one when a critical health crisis arises with zero weeks of paid leave. This was hard before the pandemic, but now it’s harder than ever, especially for women, who have lost 5.3 million jobs during the pandemic and particularly women of color who lost most of those jobs. [2] Even before the pandemic, workers and their families lost a combined $22.5 billion in wages each year due to a lack of paid family and medical leave. [3] The lack of access to paid leave also leads to higher costs in unemployment, hospitalizations, and health care, and compounding financial losses to businesses and families alike.
It. Should. Not. Be. This. Way.
Add your name now, demanding our members of Congress move quickly to pass permanent paid leave.
The pandemic has made crystal clear what was already obvious. Paid leave saves lives, paid leave saves jobs. It must be passed now.
We are one of the only countries in the world without a national paid leave policy, which meant that when the pandemic hit, we were unprepared. It should be a given that you should not work and spread illness when you are critically sick and recovering, that you should never have to choose between your family and your paycheck, your life and your livelihood. Our families need and want a sustainable paid leave policy in place so that families and businesses are never scrambling for piecemeal solutions when critical illness strikes, a serious family caregiving crisis arises, or a new child arrives.
This bears repeating: Paid leave is the key to our long-term health, stability, and prosperity. Paid leave saves jobs. Paid leave saves lives.
We can and we must pass it now. If we want to build back better, paid leave has to be a part of our infrastructure and included in an economic recovery plan, along with other key jobs, small business, and infrastructure priorities.
We need Congress to prioritize and pass, ASAP, a national, comprehensive and robust paid family and medical leave program that is more than just maternity and paternity leave and that does not threaten retirement income. We need a real paid leave plan that enables working people to take a meaningful length of leave to care for themselves when a critical health condition arises, a family member with a serious illness, or the arrival of a new child. We need a real paid leave plan that is accessible to all working people, covers all families, and is affordable, cost-effective and sustainable for workers, employers, and taxpayers.
→ Add your name to our letter demanding Congress prioritize and pass paid leave for all.
Care is care is care: Whether it’s to care for a newborn you swear already smiles, to recover from COVID, or a spouse battling cancer, being there for family is what matters. No one should permanently lose their job when an urgent and unexpected family matter arises.
Please share this link with your friends and family so they can take action, too.
Together we’re a powerful force for our 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 Leave Has Helped Flatten The Curve In The United States
[2] CNBC: Women’s Labor Force Participation Rate Hit 33 Year Low hits
[3] Center for American Progress: American Workers are losing nearly 32 billion annually due to lack of policies supporting working families
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