Recently,SenatorHillaryClintonunveiledherproposaltohelpparentsbalanceworkandfamilythoughanexpansionoftheFamilyMedicalLeaveAct(FMLA)tocoveranadditional13millionworkersandguaranteeatleast7paidsickdaysperyearforeveryworker.
15yearsago,naysayersarguethatfamilyandmedicalleavewouldplacetheentireU.S.economyatacompetitivedisadvantage.Mostemployers,however,foundthattheoriginalFamilyandMedicalLeavelawpassedin1993hasturnedouttobeapro-businesspolicy.AFamiliesandWorkInstitutestudyconductedfiveyearsafterthefederallawwentintoeffectfoundthat84percentofemployersconcludedthatthebenefitsofprovidingfamilyandmedicalleaveoffsetoroutweighedthecosts.Infact,manybusinessesnotedreducedemployeeturnover,enhancedproductivity,andimprovedmorale.
SenatorClinton’sproposalsincludemanyofthesameideasoutlinedintworecentpaperspublishedbytheDLCandPPI-MicheleStockwell’s[1]
OneofthekeyprovisionsinSenatorClinton’sagendaisherproposalforaStateFamilyLeaveInnovationFund,whichwouldcommit$1billiontosupportstatelevelparentalleaveprogramsthroughcompetitivematchinggrantstohelpcoverstart-upcostsandprogramexpenditures.Thefundwillnotdictatewhatapproacheachstatewouldtake,butwillsupportvariousapproachestoprovidingleave.
StateshavebegunexperimentingwithavarietyofapproachestoexpandontheFMLA.Infact,twostates-CaliforniaandWashington-havealreadypassedpaidfamilyleavelaws.Butstateeffortsneedtobeexpandedtohelpimproveleaveforworkingfamilies,andClinton’sproposedfundwillhelpjumpstarttheinnovationinthestates.Asstatesbeginexperimenting,theywouldbewisetolookatstateslikeCaliforniaandWashingtonasmodelsforprogress.
In2002,then-CaliforniaGov.GrayDavisandthestatelegislaturetookintoaccountboththehighcostsworkersfacetosupportafamilyandthemarketcompetitionthatbusinessownersfaceandcraftedanemployee-financedfamilyleavesystem.Thispro-family,pro-businesslawestablishedtheFamilyTemporaryDisabilityInsurance(FTDI)system,whichusesthestate’scurrentdisabilityinsurancesystemtoexpandpaidcoveragetoworkers,mostofwhomwillreceiveabout55percentoftheirsalaryforsixweeksofleave.Overall,paidfamilyandmedicalleavehasenhancedthequalityoffamilyandworklifeforallCalifornians.
Thisyear,Washingtonbecamethesecondstatetoenactpaidfamilyleavelegislation.ThisnewinsuranceprogramisslatedtobegininOctober2009andwilloffernewparentsupto5weeksofleavetimeperyear.Individualswhowork35hoursperweekormorewillreceiveaweeklybenefitof$250duringtheirleavetime.Thosewhoworklesswillreceiveaproratedbenefit.
WhileCaliforniaandWashingtonhavetakenthemostsignificantstridesonfamilyandmedicalleave,severalotherstateshavepassedkeyprovisionsthatstatesshouldconsider.Minnesota’sFamilyandMedicalLeavelawallowsanemployeetousetheirpersonalsickleavebenefitstoattendtoachildforareasonableamountoftime.Inaddition,Minnesotarequiresallpublicemployersandprivateemployerswith21ormoreemployeestograntanemployeeleaveofuptoatotalof16hourseachyeartoattendschoolconferencesorschool-relatedactivitiesoftheirchildren.Bothoftheseprovisionsgiveparentstheabilitytobalancetwocriticalrolesintheirlivesandsucceedasbothparentsandemployees.
Somestateshavedecidedtotargettheirfamilyleavepolicytothecriticalfirstyearofachild’slife.Atleastthreestates(Minnesota,Montana,andNewMexico)haveexperimentedwithAt-HomeInfantCare(AHIC)programsprovidepartialwagereplacementtolow-income,workingparentswhochoosetohaveoneparentstayhomeforthefirstyearofachild’slife.Theseprogramsaretypicallylimitedtoemployedparentsandhavetimelimits,generallybetween12and24monthsduringthelifetimeoftherecipient.
Aspolicymakersinmanyotherstatesconsidersimilarlegislation,theywouldbewisetoanalyzeCalifornia’sfairandfiscallyresponsiblemodelforprovidingworkersthetoolstheyneedtoexcelasworkersandfamilycaregivers.AndSenatorClinton’sproposalforaStateFamilyLeaveInnovationFundwillassiststatesinmakingimportantprogressinthisarea.