Op-Ed: Time for PA to pass the Family Care Act
It is about time for the Family Care Act to pass in Pennsylvania. Paid family leave bills have passed in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Most importantly for Pennsylvania, four of the six states bordering us have passed paid family leave laws. New Jersey and New York already pay out benefits to workers while Delaware and Maryland have just recently passed laws, with Maryland’s legislators overriding the governor’s veto to do so.
The states with paid family leave programs in place the longest — California, New Jersey and Rhode Island — have seen increasing paid leave uptake over time and have even expanded their programs. For example, in February 2019, New Jersey expanded its definition of family to include anyone the leave-taker considers family. In July 2020, New Jersey expanded the length of leave from six to 12 weeks. New Jersey also increased the wage replacement from 66% to 85% and provided a higher maximum cap for the wage replacement.
Paid family leave does not burden taxpayers. Under the proposed legislation, all working individuals would make a small payroll contribution (0.588% of wages initially or about six cents on $100 of income) to support the program, which would be administered by the Department of Labor & Industry. Eligible employees would be able to care for themselves in the event of a serious health condition, care for a close family member with a serious health condition, care for a new child, or care for a member of the military in qualifying exigent circumstances. Benefits would be calculated on a graduated scale (using a percentage of the statewide average weekly wage) to ensure the program is accessible to low-wage workers. Workers would be able to use the fund when they need it, retain their jobs and return to work, rather than go on unemployment or state entitlement programs.
The Family Care Act would help the most vulnerable workers — those who work for an hourly wage and/or may not have access to paid leave through their employer. While the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects workers’ jobs if they take unpaid leave, it only protects those who work for a firm that has 50 or more employees, who have worked 1,250 hours or more in the year prior to the leave and who have worked for their employer for 12 months. This federal job protection may not cover those who change employers frequently or who work for small businesses. Therefore, a state law that can cover these employees and provide job protection as well as wage replacement would be an important supplement to the federal job protection. New York, for example, covers most employees who have worked a minimum number of hours — even if they have irregular schedules. New York also allows those who are self-employed to opt-in to the program. These benefits allow workers to balance their caregiving as well as their employment — taking the time to care when needed while retaining their employment.
This leave policy would allow companies to invest in a workforce that will remain working, even when a caregiving event arises. It also allows workers to take jobs that provide employment stability while also allowing them to provide full-time or intermittent care for their family when needed. This paid leave includes bonding with newborns or newly adopted/foster children, but it also includes caring for other family members who may be sick, such as children who need regular medical appointments or elders who may be in hospice. Paid family leave recognizes citizens as workers and as caregivers.
If you support workers who are also caregivers, please let your state representative and senator know that you support the Family Care Act. Ask them to support it when it comes up for a vote. You can also contact candidates who are running to fill these seats and ask them to go on record about whether they support the Family Care Act.
Becky Logue-Conroy is an individual partner of the Women’s Advocacy Coalition where she co-chairs the Caregiving Committee. More information about the Family Care Act is available at www.bcwac.com.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Op-Ed: Time for PA to pass the Family Care Act
