Policy & Practice February 2018

PAID LEAVE continued from page 19

wages for even a short time, human services professionals can share stories, research, and expertise with advocacy campaigns and legislators. Family Values @Work maintains a national story bank where people can share their stories of needing leave and caregiving for others. Sometimes, championing progress in our field means stepping out of it, and taking action to address other systemic issues that hold back human services agencies and our customers from achieving positive outcomes. Achieving improved access to and utili- zation of paid family and medical leave could prevent significant numbers of low-wage workers from ever having to turn to public assistance just so they can bond with their newborn, recover from a major injury or illness, or provide care for an ill family member. Imagine, if those workers were served by a paid FMLI program rather than by public assistance programs, how we could refocus our energies and resources on serving individuals and families with the greatest barriers to gainful, sustainable employment and self-sufficiency. To learn more about paid sick days and paid family and medical leave, and what you can do to advance access to and utilization of paid leave for low-wage workers, visit Family Values @Work’s website at http://familyvaluesatwork.org/ . And check out a screening of the documentary Zero Weeks at APHSA’s 2018 National Health and Human Services Summit, this May 6–9 in Arlington, VA. Reference Notes 1. Ybarra, M. (2014). Work-exempt TANF participants. Focus, 31(1), 10–14. 2. Gould, E., Filion, K., Green, A. (2011). The need for paid sick days: The lack of a federal

are currently eligible for paid family and medical leave when they need it most. The level of wage replacement and length of leave vary depending on the state program, but in each state workers who need to take time off to care for themselves, a seriously ill loved one, or a new child in the home can apply for wage replacement during that time. In some states, that leave is fully job protected. People who work in Washington, DC and Washington State will be able to start accessing paid leave in 2020. KD: What can you tell us about the implementation and evaluation of paid FMLI in those places? GG: Family and medical leave insur- ance in the existing states is built off of long-standing temporary disability insurance programs. In 1942, Rhode Island was the first in the nation to have Temporary Disability Insurance, which provided wage replacement to workers who fell ill. In 1978, changes to federal law required that tempo- rary disability insurance, including the state-based pools, must also cover leave associated with pregnancy. However, the laws excluded many people who become new parents through means other than birth, and did not cover the other parent. This gap, along with the need for time to care for seriously ill family members, spurred advocates to push for a more inclusive policy. Since California first implemented paid leave, researchers have con- ducted interviews and reviewed data from employers and employees. Research has shown that the leave has positive or neutral impact on employers, and those who use the leave report decreased stress, stronger financial stability, and a better ability to arrange their life to adjust to caregiving needs. Less has been written, however, about the savings to state budgets due to decreases in the use of safety net programs or the ongoing financial stability of families because of their ability to access leave.

KD: What are FV@W’s current advocacy efforts?

GG: Currently, several states are working to pass family and medical leave insurance on the state level and several coalitions are working toward passage of paid sick days. Each one of these states helps the field learn more about the best way to serve the public, and continues to build momentum for the passage of the federal bill, the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would create a national paid family and medical leave program. KD: Many of APHSA’s members are leaders in the human services field who recognize that the lack of family-friendly workplace policies is one of the root causes of the family and economic instability their cus- tomers experience. What can they do to advance paid family and medical leave? GG: Too often, families who use services through federal and state programs either do not have access to paid leave through their employer, or in states with a program, are less likely to know the program exists. Human services leaders can help in several ways: � If your state has a family and medical leave insurance program, integrate awareness of the program into your outreach and enrollment activities. Include information about how to access leave benefits and application for benefits, if possible. � In states without an existing program, human services leaders can analyze administrative data from your own state to help illus- trate the consequences of not having a paid leave program to families and resulting increased cost to public programs. � Human services leaders can also become actively engaged in advocacy for paid leave on behalf of workers who earn lower wages.

policy further erodes family economic security. Economic Policy Institute, Washington, DC.

3. Houser, L., and Vartanian, T. P. (2012). Pay matters: The positive economic impacts of paid family leave for families, businesses and the public. Rutgers Center for Women and Work, New Brunswick, NJ.

As leaders who know firsthand how damaging it can be to lose

Policy&Practice   February 2018 32