Fatherly to Testify for Paid Go away Earlier than the Home Methods & Means Committee

On Thursday, May 27, Fatherly’s co-founder Mike Rothman said in a live stream beginning at 10 a.m. EST, before the House Ways & Means Committee, the importance and urgent need for Congress to address family vacations and medical vacations of the federal government.

As a company, Fatherly was born out of the realization that fathers were underserved in traditional media and not recognized for their changing roles as caregivers and at times as main parents.

Fatherly’s mission is to empower men to raise great children and live more fulfilling lives. We do this primarily through journalism, providing fathers with knowledgeable resources on everything from public policy to development milestones to talking to teachers about the best games for children and the equitable division of labor in a relationship.

To this end, the endorsement of gender-neutral, integrative, nationwide paid family and sick leave has been part of the editorial team since almost the first day. From in-depth interviews to research reports and our guides to the best places to work, Fatherly has focused on federal paid vacation – and the tremendous importance it has to fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and siblings. It has become a linchpin of our public policy reporting.

Because of this focus on paid vacation, as well as his own experience running a small business, Mike Rothman will testify to the House Ways and Means Committee of the importance and necessity of passing a federal paid vacation plan in the United States.

Why Push for Paid Vacation? For one, almost every other developed and affluent country in the world has paid vacation from 2 to 21 months. In fact, the United States stands alone in how little it gives working parents and how much they expect from them in return.

Here are five more reasons that we testify.

• Because paid vacation is good for companies and good for ours. Dozens of studies have found that paid family and medical leave reduce employee turnover, have no adverse or even positive effects on productivity, and increase or do not affect corporate morale. Before we passed our paid vacation policy, Fatherly was missing out on great mid-career talent that was used elsewhere for these benefits – which hampered our growth in the process. Ninety percent of California companies on the state’s paid vacation plan said the program increased labor productivity, and 99 percent of companies surveyed said the program had a positive or neutral effect on employee morale. according to the National Partnership for Working Families.

• Because paid vacation is good for workers and work. Studies have shown time and time again that paid vacation access reduces happiness, parental ties, stress and leads to better health outcomes. It reduces burnout. All of these things are good for the workers, but they are also good for the companies that people work for. From dozens of studies Richard J. Petts conducted on the subjectHe found that paternity and parental leave lead to happier marriages, lower risk of divorce, and stronger attachment to children.

• Because it is one thing for Fatherly to report on the importance of paid leave; But above all, we are strong advocates within the company. While Fatherly’s editorial results have long focused on the importance of paid leave, it took some time before we advocated and pushed for gender-neutral, generous paid parental leave within the company. Now we’re offering four months of gender-neutral parental leave, a premium paid vacation option like those offered in places like Deloitte, a massive international company. The Ministry of Labor reports that only 15 percent of companies with 99 or fewer employees have access to paid vacation, far fewer people than those who work in large companies. A federal paid vacation plan shouldn’t be offered only if you work for a large company.

• Because offering paid vacation is great. But that’s only part of the fight. It’s just not enough to offer paid vacation and never bring it up again. Studies by the likes of Dr. Jennifer Berdahl have shown that a toxic work culture and a work culture that values ​​long hours, post-work commitments, and unlimited time to work devalue parents and make it difficult for them to feel empowered to take the vacation that company benefits give them is offered. Fatherly advocates a corporate culture in which managers make employees visible and encourage them to take advantage of the full range of benefits offered to them. Flexibility must be modeled in order for it to actually exist.

Ultimately, the battle for paid vacation can’t stop with good companies doing the right thing. Because as long as this happens, only those with salaries and full-time positions have access to a substantial benefit that is offered worldwide, and access to that essential benefit makes workers dependent on what they do.

Universal paid parental leave would be a huge step forward for workers, employers, and families in the United States. It’s time.

Oops! Please try again.

Thanks for subscribing!