The US is one of only a handful of countries in the world not to offer paid family leave at a national level. Even in the private sector, only about a quarter of US workers have access to it. Families need more.
We've received hundreds of stories from our audience about their experience with paid family leave, or lack thereof. And many have felt empowered to take action. But don’t just take our word for it: One Skimm’r, Kara Walsh, presented a version of this proposal to her own C-Suite to request improved paid family leave. (Spoiler: it worked.) She shared it with us in the hopes it helps other Skimm'rs too.
So here's what's next:
Stay tuned for more resources and info from theSkimm over the new few months.
Oh, and don't forget to keep sharing your stories and wins with us using �#ShowUsYourLeave on social media.
#ShowUsYourLeave | theSkimm
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Download this deck
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Delete this slide
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Fill in the blanks to tailor the �proposal to your own company
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Practice in front of the mirror �(pets make a great audience too)
Paid Family Leave Proposal
The US is one of only a handful of countries in the world not to offer paid family leave at a national level. Even in the private sector, only about a quarter of US workers have access to it.
Families need more.
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*https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/01/13/cost-raising-child
**https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/study-finds-paid-family-leave-does-not-hurt-employers
Why you should value paid family leave:
Family leave creates more expenses �(think: medical bills) averaging about �$13,000 annually*.
No paid leave policy means partial or no pay when you’re not at work. And cutting into savings to support all things parenthood causes a loss of wealth.
Employees who take paid leave are more likely to return to work.** (Not the other way around.)
*Employees with >$120k salary receive <50% of current pay
**Family Medical Leave Act https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
How do we measure up?
Unpaid Family Leave
No pay.
Only protects against job loss for up to 12 weeks.
Partial Paid Leave
Short Term Disability* �(about 6-8 weeks): �<60% of current pay.
Unpaid time up to 12 weeks with FMLA.**
Paid Family Leave
No loss in pay.
12-52 weeks.
Without Paid Family Leave, employees lose income.
COMPANY
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Optional: Insert graph comparing companies or photo
Let’s compare.
Other companies in our industry offer �XX weeks of Paid Family Leave.
Similarly sized and funded companies provide:
COMPANY A - Add paid leave (# of weeks)
COMPANY B - Add paid leave (# of weeks)
COMPANY C - Add paid leave (# of weeks)
COMPANY D - Add paid leave (# of weeks)
COMPANY E - Add paid leave (# of weeks)
COMPANY F - Add paid leave (# of weeks)
Looking ahead:
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Does paid family leave align with COMPANY’s values and mission?
To remain competitive in the COMPANY INDUSTRY landscape, would COMPANY consider a paid family leave policy of 16-weeks?
Paid Family Leave… it’s a win-win.
It keeps employees feeling valued as they navigate parenthood without adding extra costs to the company.
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