June/July 2010
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The Need for Paid Family Leave by Lisa Frack 
Did you know that 95% of fathers and 72% of mothers with children under age 18 work outside the home? And that having a baby is the leading cause of "poverty spells" in the U.S. (when income dips below what is needed for basic living expenses)? Or that the U.S. is one of only four countries that does not have paid family leave? The others are Papua New Guinea, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Not something to be proud of. Definitely something to improve.
The changing economic reality for America's families requires new solutions. That is why Time to Care for Oregon Families is working to pass legislation that would create a paid family leave insurance program for Oregon's working families. We believe no one should be forced to choose between caring for and providing for their family. Only California has an operating paid family leave program; New Jersey has one in the works, and our neighbor, Washington, passed a program recently, but it is not yet operational due to lack of funding. How it works now Right now, many workers have access to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) which provide 12-weeks of unpaid job-protected leave. However, 78% of those who were eligible for this leave but didn't take it reported that they couldn't afford to. 49% of parents cobble together some paid leave to care for a new child or loved one by using sick days and vacation days — if they have any. A full 51% of new parents have no paid sick/vacation days and are therefore forced to take unpaid time or quit their jobs to meet family care obligations. Why we need paid family leave We know that children, parents, and caretakers benefit from paid leave programs. Data has shown that when parents have access to paid family leave, infant mortality rates are reduced, breastfeeding rates increase, and long-term educational achievement for children is improved. Paid family leave also helps businesses whose employees show higher rates of productivity, greater morale, lower turnover and training costs, and reduced absenteeism. Oregon's paid family leave insurance would allow new parents or those caring for a sick loved one the option to be paid, at least partially, for 6 weeks of time off. Join the campaign! We need all hands on deck, in all corners of the state. If you would like to support this effort — and we hope you do — please join the campaign at: http://oregonpaidfamilyleave.org/. And once you do, please spread the word to family and friends you think would also like to see a paid family leave insurance program in Oregon. To find out more about how you can get involved, check out the Activistas website at http://www.activistas.us/. Lisa Frack is an online parent organizer for the Environmental Working Group by day and urbanMamas Activista (www.urbanmamas.com) by night. She is fired up about the lack of family-friendly public policies in the U.S., and after 4 & 1/2 years of motherhood decided to make some waves because, well, we mamas are ready for some serious change. |
