Washington Family Leave Coalition releases 2010 candidate questionnaires

The Washington Family Leave Coalition’s 2010 Candidate Questionnaire is now available to any organization wishing to discuss work-family public policy issues with municipal, state legislative and national candidates for elective office in Washington State.

For discussions with candidates for national office, please see these fact sheets on the federal Healthy Families Act and FIRST Act to learn more about these important pieces of pending federal legislation.

For discussions with municipal and state legislative candidates for office, Who Can Stay Home with the Flu? is a short and informative policy brief outlining the need for paid sick days in Washington State and local municipalities.

New report details positive effects of paid family leave

Newborn Family Leave: Effects on Business, Parents, and Children
Full Report | Executive Summary

The arrival of a new baby changes the world for parents, often bringing familial and work responsibilities into conflict. While some employers provide parents of newborns with the option to take time off of work to care for a new child, many do not. For some parents, a period of unpaid leave is provided through the federal Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).

Five years ago, recognizing the importance of leave for families and children, California lawmakers passed the Paid Family Leave Act, which provides employees thirty days of paid leave to care for a new child, a seriously ill family member, or their own serious illness. While very modest compared to policies in other developed countries, California’s Paid Family Leave program was the first of its kind in the nation, and remains the most generous.Continue reading “New report details positive effects of paid family leave”

Paid Family Leave included in Obama’s budget

Released today, President Obama’s budget includes funding to help states provide paid family leave to to workers. Current federal law, the Family and Medical Leave Acts (FMLA), only provides unpaid leave — forcing workers to choose between caring for their families or losing a paycheck.

Both California and New Jersey already have paid family leave programs — giving workers up to six weeks to care for a seriously ill family member or bond with a new child.

This funding could help get Washington’s paid family leave program up and running, which is currently awaiting a funding source for it’s planned October 2012 launch date.

Text from the White House OMB’s budget fact sheet after the jump.

Continue reading “Paid Family Leave included in Obama’s budget”