COVID-19 made it clear that U.S. workers are struggling to balance work, health, and family responsibilities. This is especially true for women, especially women with the color of skin who have dropped out of work at an alarming rate over the past year, including 275,000 American women in January alone.
This exodus of women from the workplace is in large part due to the conflict between work and care. We can and must find ways to help New Mexicans balance work duties and provide for their health and families.
The US has struggled to deal with the economic realities of the pandemic in ways other countries cannot. A major reason for this difference is the lack of support for workers who suddenly become unable to participate in the workforce due to health or nursing concerns. Among the wealthy nations, the US stands alone in not guaranteeing workers paid sick leave or paid family leave.
As one of their first steps in response to COVID-19 in March, members of the U.S. Congress decided to take temporary paid sick leave and paid family leave. While leaders in other countries worked to address the myriad of problems related to the economic and health crisis, Congress was caught debating the paid vacation measures that workers in other parts of the world have been guaranteed for years. The provisions they passed were temporary, limited and have since expired.
The guaranteed paid vacation has been replaced with a temporary tax credit for employers who choose to take vacation. Because of the limited scope and voluntary nature of these regulations, many New Mexicans were unable to access this assistance.
This series of hasty federal temporary measures, while limited in scope among New Mexicans, has shown that paid vacation policies are necessary in order to be able to respond to, adapt to and get away from major financial and health disruptions to recover them. Based on an analysis by the Urban Institute, states with existing paid family and sick leave programs were able to respond better to pandemic-related claims than states that rely solely on unemployment insurance systems.
If New Mexico had set up such a program before the pandemic, our economies and communities would have suffered less from the coronavirus-related difficulties. We now have the opportunity to create systems that will support New Mexico’s future economic resilience.
State lawmakers are currently considering House Bill 38 to set up the Paid Family and Sick Leave Trust Fund administered by the Department of Workforce Solutions. After six months of contributions, individuals could receive vacation pay from the trust fund up to 12 weeks away from work to take on a new child, treat a serious health condition, or care for a family member with a serious health condition.
Due to the economic downturn, HB 38 is proposing a delayed implementation period of more than two years in order to start rolling out the program. The delay recognizes both the economic realities in New Mexico and the urgency of the moment.
In the face of an unprecedented crisis last spring, valuable time was wasted at all levels of government solving a problem other countries have already solved. We have to support workers and ensure economic stability. Paid family and sick leave policies are essential to our economic security at the individual, community, state and national levels. In order for New Mexico to be prepared for the next emergency and to protect everyday workers with care needs and health conditions, we must act now to provide paid family and sick leave.
Tracy McDaniel is a policy attorney with the Southwest Women’s Law Center. She has been working on improving outcomes for young children and families in New Mexico since 2009.
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