Call on Congress to quickly pass the Build Back Better Act with Paid
Family/Medical Leave!
[ [link removed] ]Take Action Now
[ [link removed] ]SIGN NOW

Dear Friend,

I will be blunt: There is no Plan B to win paid family and medical leave
right now. We either win it now in Build Back Better or we take a big step
backwards. We need the Senate to act immediately to pass Build Back Better
with paid family and medical leave for all.

[ [link removed] ]*Sign now to tell Congress: There is no alternative - the Senate must
pass the Build Back Better Act with comprehensive paid family and medical
leave immediately.

Here’s why there isn’t a plan B. It’s not because paid family/medical
leave isn’t extremely popular, it’s because the right now US Senate rules
require 60+ votes to pass most legislation, and at the moment there are
not 10 Senate Republicans who support the kind of quality paid leave
programs that are proven to boost families, small businesses, and our
nation’s economy. 

The paid family/medical leave provision in the Build Back Better Act
includes four weeks of paid leave for ALL workers to use when they need
time off to care for their own serious health conditions, or to care for a
seriously ill loved one, including chosen family. Paid leave keeps
families safe by allowing them to get treatment when they need it, and it
helps families mitigate financial strain due to the rising cost of
healthcare by allowing workers to take care of themselves, stay healthy,
and return to work. Paid leave also allows birthing people the critical
time needed to recover from childbirth or to bond with a new child. 

I know you’ve got a million things on your “to-do” list right now and
reminding Congress to do its job shouldn’t be one of them, but here we
are. We cannot take our foot off the gas. 

Take a quick moment to [ [link removed] ]*click here to tell your US Senators to Build
Back Better with Paid Leave For All immediately. There is no alternative -
the Senate must pass the Build Back Better Act with comprehensive paid
leave.

Here’s the truth: Passing the Build Back Better Act with universal and
comprehensive paid family/medical leave this year will aid millions of
working families. 

As we head into a new year, we are faced with the somber reminder that we
remain in the midst of a global pandemic, the likes of which have resulted
in more than 800,000 lives lost in the United States alone. [1]  The
Omicron COVID-19 variant, which the CDC estimates is now three percent of
US COVID-19 cases, makes it clear that access to paid family/medical leave
is vital to the health and stability of our families and country. 

Paid family leave allows working people to take paid time off, to recover
from childbirth, to bond with a new child, to provide care for themselves
or a loved one when a serious illness strikes, or to recover from COVID. 

Paid leave is the policy families need to be able to receive treatment if
any unexpected health crisis occurs, maintain their financial security,
and return to work. 

The need is urgent: Right now, 79 percent of workers do not have paid
family/medical leave through their employers. In addition, 60 percent of
workers do not have access to paid personal medical leave. [2]  This is
appalling and this must change. Paid leave is a public good. It benefits
working families, including workers of color who significantly lack access
to leave. 

Shockingly, 71 percent of Latinx workers, 67 percent of American Indian
and Alaska Native workers, 61 percent of Black workers, and 54 percent of
Asian American and Pacific workers are not eligible or cannot afford to
take unpaid leave under the FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act). [ [link removed] ] 

Not only does paid family/medical leave provide support for families, it
also benefits small businesses. Access to paid family/medical leave boosts
employee morale, contributes to employee retention, and helps with
employee recruitment. The cost of replacing an employee ranges from 16
percent to almost 400 percent of their yearly salary; however, enacting
paid family/medical leave programs contribute to productivity and
clear-cut cost savings for small businesses. [ [link removed] ]  In addition, passing a
national paid family/medical leave program will mean that a small business
will no longer need, by itself, to carry the cost of an employee being
out. It’s also evident that paid leave keeps workers attached to the
workforce by reducing turnover, which leads to increased employee loyalty.

[3]*Click here to urge your Senator to vote YES on the Build Back Better
Act with Paid Family/Medical Leave immediately.

How many more ways can we tell our Senators that we want and need paid
leave? Let’s be very plain and very clear today: Working families DEMAND
that Congress KEEP paid family/medical leave in the Build Back Better Act
and PASS this significant and much needed legislation ASAP. 

[4]*Click here and demand that members of the Senate keep Paid
Family/Medical leave in the Build Back Better Act.

Every moment that passes is critical for families, that’s why we need your
help to drive the message home to Senators: Keep Paid Family/Medical Leave
in the Build Back Better Act and pass it without delay! 

*Please take a moment to post this action link on your social media
networks like Facebook and Twitter, and to share it with friends and
family too. The more of us who take action, the more powerful we are
together. Here’s that link again to take
action! [link removed]

Thanks for supporting the inclusion of paid family/medical leave in the
Build Back Better Act!

- Namatie, Ruth, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising.org/MamásConPoder.org
team

P.S.– Personal experiences are powerful and can make a HUGE difference in
helping elected leaders understand how public policies impact families so
they can move change. We want to hear more from YOU! Can you take a second
and follow the link below to share your personal story about how having,
or NOT having, access to job-protected paid leave has impacted your family
in the pandemic?
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

 

References:

[1] [ [link removed] ]Another Grim Covid-19 milestone: At least 800,000 Americans have
died
[2] [ [link removed] ]Key Facts: Paid Family and Medical Leave 
[3] [ [link removed] ]Unequal Access to FMLA Leave persists
[4] [ [link removed] ]Small Biz Already Carved Out of Paid Leave by Status Quo


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