1. Unfinished Business: Renewing the Fight for Paid Leave Ellen Bravo, Family Values @ Work Gayle Goldin, State Senator, Rhode Island Family Values @ Work1

2. A Brief History  Temporary Disability Insurance funds passed in 5 states – Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, California, Hawaii  Pregnancy not included  NJ: lumped with injuries that were “willfully self-inflicted or incurred during the perpetration of a high misdemeanor.”

3. Background: 1976 Supreme Court says pregnancy has nothing to do with sex – not covered by Title VII Family Values @ Work3

4. Background: 1978 Family Values @ Work4 Pregnancy Discrimination Act:  can’t fire women for being pregnant – but you don’t have to hold their jobs.  pregnancy like other temporary disabilities – but most women work for firms with no short-term disability plans.

5. Background: FMLA, 1993 Family Values @ Work5 12 weeks leave to care for new child, seriously ill child, spouse or elderly parent, or personal illness Includes job guarantee and health insurance Broader than maternity – and includes men.

6. Problems with the FMLA Family Values @ Work6 Nearly half the private sector workforce isn’t covered Doesn’t cover siblings, domestic partners Doesn’t cover routine illness It’s unpaid.

7. Which Countries Lack Paid Leave?  Bangladesh  Botswana  Brazil  Cameroon  Canada  India  Iran  Mexico  Mongolia  Netherlands  Norway  Papua New Guinea  Sweden  U.S.  Zambia

8. How the US Stacks Up  100% Pay: Bangladesh Brazil Cameroon India Netherlands Norway Sweden Zambia  Partial Pay  Canada – 50 weeks, 55%  Botswana – 12 weeks 25%  Iran, 16 weeks, 66%  Mongolia – 17 weeks, 70%  No Pay  Papua New Guinea  U.S.

9. What the Opponents Say… Creating paid family leave will destroy our economy and kill jobs. We are a country of family values. Motherhood is scared. Children are our future. We honor seniors. Family Values @ Work9

10. What We Say… Being a good parent, or a good child to your parents, shouldn’t jeopardize your financial security. Family Values @ Work10

11.  A Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund is a cost-effective way to make leave affordable.  A growing body of evidence shows FMLI is good for families, good for business and good for the economy. Family Values at Work11 What We Say…

12. 12 Dominant State Models: Existing Laws Family Leave Insurance Program Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) Program  In place in Calif., N.J., R.I.  Built on top of existing TDI programs  Cover care for new children, seriously ill family members  Four weeks in R.I., six weeks in Calif. and N.J.  55–66 percent wage replacement  Job-protected in R.I.  In place for decades in Calif., Hawaii, N.J., N.Y. and R.I.  Cover own serious health condition, including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions  26–52 weeks of partial wage replacement

13. 13 2015 Legislative Sessions: Diversity of Approaches Insurance program/Employee contributions only  Colorado  Connecticut  Hawaii (2 bills, but one only covers workers in 100+ employee businesses)  Illinois (only covers 50+ employee businesses)  Maine (only covers 15+ employees businesses)  New York  Vermont Insurance program/employee- employer shared contributions  Louisiana  Maryland  Minnesota  Washington Insurance program/employer contributions only  Massachusetts  Missouri General revenues model  New Mexico  New York (hybrid, general revenues for first year, then employee contributions) Employer requirement  Michigan (for employers with 50+ employees, parental only) Tax Credit (voluntary, employer choice)  Arkansas  Connecticut  Minnesota (employer reimbursement for providing paid leave)  North Dakota  Oregon (employers with less than 50 employees only) Savings Accounts (voluntary, employer choice)  Michigan (House Republican Agenda document) Task Force/Study Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee (directing state application for DOL paid leave grant)

14. Goals: Key Principles/Features  Covers all workers, wherever they work regardless of business size  Covers workers when they change jobs  All participate  Gender-neutral, not just women  Broad leave purposes, not just new parents  Benefits calibrated to maximize uptake across income levels 14  Protective of employees’ ability to use (job protection, non-retaliation)  Funding mechanism and source for start up funds specified/allocated  Build on existing law if possible to do that and stay true to principles  Build on rather than supplant, existing employer-provided leave, collective bargaining, etc.

15. With Principles in Mind, Key Choices 15  Eligibility rules  Employee-employer shared cost vs. employee-only  Length of leave  Benefit structure – flat, tiered or percentage  Benefit level  Administrative agency selection or alternative administrative mechanism

16. 16  U.S. Department of Labor paid leave analysis grants: $1.25 million total (up to $250K for each grant) to states, cities of more than 100,000 people or Native American tribes of more than 50,000 people  OPPORTUNITY: DOL webinar Wednesday, 6/24. Applications due July 15.  President Obama’s proposed FY 2016 budget includes $2.2 billion to support the development of state paid family and medical leave programs and $35 million to support paid leave infrastructure  NEED: Contact federal legislators to ask for support in the appropriations process. 16 State-Level Opportunities: Paid Leave Fund, DOL Grants

17. Resources 17  Model State Paid Family Leave Statute (A Better Balance and National Partnership) – will be updated this summer Model State Paid Family Leave Statute  Paid Leave Research Studies (research compilation) Paid Leave Research Studies  Work and Family Policy Database (list of state proposals and laws, by year, with bill number and links) Work and Family Policy Database

18. What You Can Do: As Elected Leaders Family Values @ Work18

19. What You Can Do: Supporters Family Values @ Work19 Share stories. Bring in partners, including business owners, groups dealing with seniors, kids, health, etc. Contact elected officials. Organize in-district meeting with legislators. Support groups doing the grassroots work.

20. For more information, contact:  Ellen Bravo, Family Values @ Work  bravo@familyvaluesatwork.org bravo@familyvaluesatwork.org  Web: familyvaluesatwork.com  Twitter: @fmlyvalueswork  Facebook: /familyvaluesatwork  Gayle Goldin  gaylegoldin@mac.com gaylegoldin@mac.com  Twitter: @gaylegoldin Family Values at Work20 Family Values at Work