Putting Families First

The proposed Family and Medical Leave Act puts babies first. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) and Rep. Bill Clay (D-Mo.), allows mothers and fathers to take time off to give their child a healthy start without losing their livelihood. The leave is unpaid but it guarantees future paychecks and peace of mind.

Parental leave, a policy upheld for mothers in California by the U.S. Supreme Court, is long overdue for the rest of the nation. Working mothers no longer are the exception. Fewer than 10% of American families fit the traditional pattern where the father works outside of the home and the mother stays home with the kids, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The new law would allow parents to take as many as 18 weeks off after the birth or adoption of a child and return to the same job or an equivalent position. Parents could also use the leave to care for a seriously ill child without giving up their job. The compassion would cost taxpayers nothing.

Childless workers also would benefit. Employees could take off up to 18 weeks to care for a seriously ill elderly parent or up to 26 weeks to recuperate from a serious health condition. The toll of a major illness wouldn’t be compounded by the loss of a job. The new law won’t cover employers with fewer than 15 workers, an exemption that is consistent with most federal standards. Some businesses object, however, to the expense of hiring temporary replacements or the bother of making life more manageable for working parents.

The opposition is short-sighted because employers will have to depend more and more on employees who are also parents as the numbers of two-paycheck families and single-parent homes grow.

Despite the opposition, the bill passed out of a subcommittee in the House earlier this week. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) is shepherding the measure through the Senate.

Congress should approve the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide more security for working parents and their children. No one should have to choose between keeping a job or caring for an elderly parent, a sick child or a new baby.