Federal workers are rising for paid leave! Back them up! 
 
[ [link removed] ]Paid Family Leave
Add your name to our letter urging Congress to champion *paid* leave for
2 million federal employees!
[ [link removed] ]take action
[ [link removed] ]Take Action

Dear Friend,

2 million people and their families. 2 million. That's how many people who
work for the federal government and how many will benefit if Congress
passes the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act this year! And here's the good
news: Congress is so so close to passing this.[1] 

And, even if you’re not a federal employee, the fact is that a win like
this at the federal level, like every win at the local and state level,
helps build the case for a national paid family and medical leave program
that lifts every family in this country.

[ [link removed] ]→ Add your name to our letter urging every member of Congress to
champion the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act!

Here’s the scoop: The House and the Senate are in last stages of
finalizing the National Defense Authorization Act.[2] The House included
the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act in their approved version of the
legislation. The Senate's did not. Now, the House and Senate are heading
to conference to reconcile their bills. As the House and Senate negotiate,
it's critical that elected leaders are hearing from YOU that paid leave
for federal employees must be included in the final deal! 

[ [link removed] ]Click here to sign our letter asking your members of Congress to keep
the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act in the final deal! 

With more than 2 million employees, the federal government is the nation’s
largest employer, yet provides no paid family and medical leave. This
leaves many federal workers forced to choose between a paycheck and caring
for a loved one, a newborn or themselves. The Federal Employee Paid Leave
Act would not provide employees with additional leave time; it would
simply ensure that federal employees can receive full pay during their 12
weeks of FMLA leave.

Ragen, a federal postal worker and MomsRising member from New Hampshire,
has experienced this shortfall first-hand. She bravely shared her family’s
devastating story: 

“My son Ethan was born in 2006. He was medically fragile and had
significant developmental disabilities. FMLA meant that I could care for
my sick child without risking my job, but it also meant going without a
paycheck. I couldn’t take paid leave when Ethan suffered a massive stroke
and needed us by his side in the hospital nor when he passed away just
three years ago, a devastating loss for our entire family. FMLA was always
supposed to be a starting point, not a finish line. Without paid leave,
the FMLA falls short for too many families, including mine.”

[ [link removed] ]We can and we must do better for working families like Ragen's. Click
here to take action in support of paid family and medical leave for
federal employees!

Paid leave would help not just federal employees, but the entire federal
government. With access to paid leave, federal employees won't be forced
to choose between their jobs and their family. This will also reduce
employee turnover, which is estimated to cost us as taxpayers between 16
and 200 percent of a worker’s annual salary.[3] Plus, a win at the federal
level, like every win at the local and state level, helps build the case
for a national paid family and medical leave program that lifts every
family in this country. 

The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act would also be a game-changer for moms
and parents in the federal workforce. New mothers who take paid leave are
more likely to take the amount of time away from work recommended by
doctors,[4] and their children are more likely to be breastfed, receive
medical check-ups, and get critical immunizations.[5]

And it doesn't end there. When children are seriously ill, the presence of
a parent shortens a child’s hospital stay by 31 percent;[6] active
parental involvement in a child’s hospital care may head off future health
problems,[ [link removed] ] especially for children with chronic health conditions, and
thus reduce costs.

Paid leave also supports family caregivers and their loved ones. With a
family caregiver to support them, sick family members are more likely to
complete their treatment plans, manage their care, and avoid complications
and hospital readmissions.[ [link removed] ] 

[7]This is a huge opportunity to invest in families, support workers, and
pave the way for more paid leave policies across the country. Click here
to sign our letter to Congress urging leaders to champion paid leave for
federal employees!

***Take action now and be sure to share this email or link below with your
friends and family so they can take action too. 

Together we're a powerful force for women and families.

-- Ruth, Maggie, Christina, Beth, Tina, Sara, Kristin, and the entire
MomsRising/MamásConPoder team

P.S. [8]Do you have a personal experience you can share about the need for
paid family and medical leave? Either how it's helped your family or how
you've struggled without it? Tell us about it and we’ll share with
decision-makers to help them understand why paid family and medical leave
is so important!

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

 

Sources:  

[1] [ [link removed] ]FedWeek: Paid leave issue pending in defense bill

[2] [ [link removed] ]HR 2500: National Defense Authorization Act 2020 and [ [link removed] ]HR 1534:
Federal Employee Paid Leave Act 

[3] [ [link removed] ]National Partnership for Women and Families: Letter to Conferees
(Aug. 2019)

[4] [ [link removed] ]Gomby, D. S., & Pei, D. (2009). Newborn Family Leave: Effects on
Children, Parents, and Business. David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Publication. Retrieved 3 April 2019, from
[link removed]

[5] [ [link removed] ]Heymann, J., Sprague, A. R., Nandi, A., Earle, A., Batra, P.,
Schickedanz, A.,… Raub, A. (2017). Paid parental leave and family
wellbeing in the sustainable development era. Public Health Reviews,
38(21). Retrieved 3 April 2019, from
[link removed]

[6] Heymann. J. (2001, October 15). The Widening Gap: Why America’s
Working Families Are in Jeopardy—and What Can Be Done About It. New York,
NY: Basic Books.

[7] Heymann, J., & Earle, A. (2010). Raising the global floor: dismantling
the myth that we can't afford good working conditions for everyone.
Stanford, CA.: Stanford Politics and Policy

[8] Ibid., National Partnership for Women and Families 

 

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