Gillibrand Pushes For Paid Depart Extension In Reduction Invoice Negotiations

While officials in Washington debate a new COVID-19 relief bill, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says an extension of a paid vacation policy should be included.

Back in March, when Congress first met to pass COVID-19 relief, a provision was passed guaranteeing workers paid vacation as the children were pulled out of school and life returned to a new normal had to adjust.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York is calling for the program to be extended as the time runs out until the end of the year.

The Democrat held a conference call on the matter on Wednesday. She said paid vacation helps prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“A recent study in Health Affairs found that introducing paid vacation regulations helped reduce COVID infections by approximately 15,000 cases per day. We shouldn’t be without a program that has helped us smooth the curve in a whopping number of cases, ”said Gillibrand.

According to Gillibrand, extending the emergency paid vacation leave is a fraction of the cost as a $ 900 billion relief bill is being considered. The Senator was joined by Dawn Huckelbridge of the Paid Leave For All campaign.

“Paid leave is one of our most effective, effective and widely adopted aid policies in the country. The $ 1.35 billion it would cost to extend the program and carry families through the vacation is a fraction of that aid package. It’s something we can afford and honestly we can’t afford to lose, ”said Huckelbridge.

Gillibrand says funding for paid family vacation can’t stop there. The Senator is also the sponsor of a bill to grant workers sick leave and emergency leave beyond the pandemic.

“We need to pass the Paid Vacation Act, which not only provides 14 days of emergency paid sick leave, 12 weeks of emergency paid leave and medical leave for all workers, but also creates a universal paid leave program,” said Gillibrand.

On a related issue, the New York metropolitan area is facing challenges in accessing childcare.

The Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership collects data through two surveys of childcare needs in Saratoga and Warren counties.

Saratoga Partnership President and CEO Shelby Schneider said the number of care centers in the area is declining – a pre-pandemic problem.

“Back then it was a challenge to find high quality childcare, especially for infant and childcare. But in the capital region and there is a lot of data that supports this pre-COVID, we have almost 60 percent fewer childcare places in the capital region than in 2008, ”said Schneider.

With more parents returning to work compared to the pandemic outbreak months ago, a study published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in October shows that childcare remains an obstacle for parents looking to return to work. The study found that 39 percent of parents never returned to work. The study says 26 percent of respondents are likely to return. 13 percent are unsure or are unlikely to return – according to a June study in which 22 percent of parents were unsure, which, in the opinion of the chamber, reflects a greater expectation of a “more typical” work situation.