Senate panel appears into methods to broaden paid family and medical go away – WFTV

Choosing between your family’s health and a paycheck – a decision that families across the country face too often when they don’t have paid leave arrangements at their place of work.

A Senate panel on Tuesday discussed ways to expand workers’ access to paid vacation.

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“Today we are the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee paid vacation,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington). “We cannot build a better and stronger economy when workers are forced to choose between the health of their family and their paychecks.”

“It helps attract talent,” said Senator Richard Burr, R-North Carolina. “Improve retention. Increase the health and well-being of your employees and increase employee engagement. “

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While both parties agree that more workers need access to paid vacation, there is an ongoing debate over how best to achieve this.

Some witnesses pushed for federal policies, while others pushed for states and local governments to have the flexibility to create their own.

Vicki Shabo, with Better Life Lab in New America, has been a paid family vacation policy advisor to policy makers and corporations for nearly a decade, according to the organization, stressing the need for legislative action to ensure workers across the country are on paid vacation.

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Shabo said 80% of workers did not pay family leave and 70% of low-wage workers did not have a single paid day of sick leave at work.

“This is a disproportionately large number of employees in the hospitality, retail and caretaker sectors,” said Shabo. “Just two to three days before work, they jeopardize the ability to buy groceries, pay gasoline, and pay utilities for a month. Seven and a half days risk a monthly mortgage or rent. “

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However, the National Federation of Independent Businesses warned that a mandatory paid vacation policy could mean fewer jobs for small businesses that cannot afford to cover the costs.

“The unanswered question with a vacation mandate is who will pay.” said Elizabeth Milito, Senior Executive Counsel for the National Federation of Independent Businesses. “There is no single guideline that is right for every company or every industry.”

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This year, Congress Democrats introduced the “Healthy Families Act,” which allows workers in companies with 15 or more employees to take up to seven days of paid sick leave each year.