Today is the 27th anniversary of passage of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Many people erroneously believe the FMLA means paid leave, but it does not. The FMLA guarantees job protection for those who take leave under its provisions, it applies only to certain eligible employees and guarantees only UNPAID leave.
Less than half of all working adults are eligible for FMLA, and low-wage workers and workers of color, particularly Latinx workers, are even less likely to be eligible.
Pennsylvanians Need the Family Care Act
Senate Bill 580, known as the Family Care Act, would guarantee working individuals paid leave to care for themselves, a new child, or a family member with a serious health condition. HB 1739 is a companion bill that has been introduced in the House.
The Family Care Act has bi-partisan support.
WLP recently submitted testimony to the Pennsylvania Senate Labor & Industry Committee in support of the Family Care Act. You can watch video of the hearing here. Afterward, attorney Amal M. Bass spoke at a press conference calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to support the Family Care Act.
You can read our testimony here.
The Women’s Law Project knows firsthand how important passage of this bill is to families in Pennsylvania. We often hear from clients who have suffered disastrous financial and emotional effects due to lack of paid leave. One client accrued tens of thousands of dollars of debt when her employer forced her to take months of unpaid leave after she experienced complications during her pregnancy. A pregnant client felt she had no option but to continue working for a company where she was sexually harassed because it offered paid maternity leave.
Paid leave is not just for women on maternity leave, though. It is for people of all genders and applies to a broad range of caretaking responsibilities, including caring for aging or sick parents and children.
The Family Care Act Needs Your Support
A 2017 Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry survey found that the majority of both employers and citizens support a statewide program to provide paid family and medical leave.
What we need to do is to tell members of the Pennsylvania Senate Labor & Industry Committee know you support the Family Care Act.
Please see a list of members here, contact them to urge passage of the Family Care Act, and share this action alert.
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center devoted to defending and expanding the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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