Sponsor Parental Leave Policies that Support Families
The 500 Women Scientists Philly Pod went to Harrisburg, PA on November 18, 2019, and lobbied for a number of important issues. These one-pagers were given to our representatives outlining our recommendations.
We at 500 Women Scientists Philly Pod urge action on current parental leave policies in the U.S. Today, the U.S. federal mandate is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which only provides 12 weeks of job protection.[1] This policy applies to companies with at least 50 employees who work 24 hours a week or more. Access to this type of leave varies widely across the U.S. and currently more than 86% of American employees have access to this benefit. In 2016, over 82% of Americans reported that they support paid parental leave policies.[3] Currently, only 5 states have parental leave policies: California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, and Washington.[4] STEM professionals are more likely to leave the workplace due to the lack of adequate paid leave.[2] We recommend that our state of Pennsylvania adopt paid leave policies and pass comprehensive legislation that supports parents and guarantees them financial security.
H.B. 0998/S.B.13 — Healthy Employee and Healthy Workplace Act
This bill would support both parents taking up to 6 weeks off of work to help raise children and family members. As the Bill states, “this act relates to promoting healthy families and workplaces by establishing a mandatory employer-paid sick leave policy in this Commonwealth.”
Our recommendations: Cosponsor this bill and vote yes when it comes to the Senate and/or House floor
H.B. 0625 — Pennsylvania Paid Family Leave Act
This Bill would provide 12 weeks full paid leave for parents. This bill aims to make Pennsylvania a state that supports working families and parents. It would support parents from any time from pregnancy to childbirth and through the adoption process. This comprehensive bill increases the amount of leave to 12 weeks and would provide parents with full pay.
Our recommendations: Cosponsor this bill and vote yes when it comes to the Senate and/or House floor
References
- Federal Family Medical Leave Act: https://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/
- Emma Loveday and Suzanne Brander. March 20, 2019. Science Should Be More Helpful to New Parents. Scientific American Blogs. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/science-should-be-more-helpful-to-new-parents/
- 2016 Pew research report: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/03/23/americans-widely-support-paid-family-and-medical-leave-but-differ-over-specific-policies/
- Andrew Keshner. March 8, 2019. Only these 5 states have paid family-leave laws. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/only-5-states-have-paid-family-leave-laws-allowing-parents-to-bond-with-their-newborn-2019-02-06
