*This is an organizational support letter for the PAID Leave Act, introduced by Senators Murray and Gillibrand and Congresswoman DeLauro. To view the current list of signatories, click here:
https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/paid-leave/paid-leave-act-letter-to-congress.pdfDear Members of Congress,
We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to co-sponsor and advocate for swift passage of the PAID Leave Act (Providing Americans Insured Days of Leave Act), introduced by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).
The spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the health and economic consequences faced by working people when they lack access to paid sick days and paid family and medical leave. In the United States, more than 32 million workers lack access to paid sick days, and for low-income workers it’s even worse. While 93 percent of the highest-wage workers have access to paid sick days, only 30 percent of the lowest wage workers do. Workers in jobs that require frequent contact with the public, including those in food preparation and service, personal home care, and child care, are among the least likely to have paid sick days and the most likely to be unable to afford to take unpaid time away from work. Furthermore, only 19 percent of the workforce has access to longer-term paid family leave through their employer, and only 40 percent has access to paid medical leave through their employer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 self-quarantine for 14 days. Individuals may also need to stay home longer if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, or if their workplace or family member’s school or place of care is closed for longer than 14 days. But for people without access to paid sick days and paid family and medical leave, this is a near impossibility. Millions of workers face the devastating decision between risking their own health (and that of their families and communities) or risking the loss of a paycheck or job. No one should face this choice, let alone during an unprecedented public health emergency.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) included historic provisions requiring some employers to provide limited paid sick days and paid leave for certain caregiving purposes during the current COVID-19 crisis. However, working families need much more, and small businesses need the urgent support to be able to keep employees on during this crisis. The limited scope of these provisions, particularly the carve-out for workers at businesses with 500 or more employees, the hardship exemption eligibility for businesses with fewer than 50 employees (which does nothing for public health nor for the urgent cash flow needs of the business), the narrow reasons for taking leave and the absence of any permanent paid sick time or paid leave provisions to protect workers in the years to come will leave too many working people behind.
The PAID Leave Act closes these loopholes and addresses these urgent needs. It builds off of the Healthy Families Act and the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act to ensure that working people have access to 14 days of paid sick leave and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for use during the COVID-19 outbreak or any future public health emergency. It provides paid time for those who may have been exposed to the virus to self-quarantine; for those who contract the disease to heal, seek treatment and self-isolate; and for those with affected loved ones to care for them. It also covers lost income in the event of workplace, school, or place of care closings. And it shores up urgently needed cash transfers for small business rather than unworkable quarterly tax credits.
This bill also recognizes that people need time off from work when there isn’t a public health emergency, and provides up to seven earned paid sick and safe days annually to recover from short-term illnesses, access preventive care, care for a sick loved one, or seek assistance related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. It also creates a permanent paid family and medical leave insurance system to welcome a new child, care for loved ones, and address serious personal medical issues. Notably, having these essential policies in place before a future public health emergency can help workers, workplaces and communities respond more effectively and equitably for the good of everyone.
We urge all members of Congress to co-sponsor this bill and advocate for its swift passage. Our society is only as healthy as its most vulnerable members. Now more than ever, we must recognize that we all have a stake in ensuring that working people have access to paid sick and safe days and paid family and medical leave.
