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.

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.

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). [3]

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. [4] 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.

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.

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! https://action.momsrising.org/sign/PaidLeavefortheNewYear

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

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? https://action.momsrising.org/survey/Caretaking_Stories

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