At Hearing, Senator Warren Highlights Need for National Paid Leave Program

Hearing

"Thank you, Mr. Chair. Women workers saw steep job losses during the pandemic. And while women's labor force participation has bounced back, it has been stuck at 10 points lower than men's labor force participation for the past quarter century.

That's because women still bear the burden of care work -- they take care of children, they take care of sick relatives, they take care of parents with disabilities and that means that too often, women workers -- and particularly women of color -- must choose between getting paid or caring for a loved one.

A key way to address this problem is through a national paid family and medical leave program -- so all workers have the support they need to balance work and caregiving responsibilities.

Some states, including Massachusetts, have already set up their own paid family and medical leave programs. Ms. Frye, how does the Massachusetts paid leave program work? Can you just explain to everyone how we're set up?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

And, as I understand it, we cover the overwhelming majority of our workers in Massachusetts with this program. And are workers in Massachusetts actually using the program? What have you seen, Ms. Frye? Especially women?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Good! So we've got it. It's a robust program. People are using it. And the program is relatively new in Massachusetts, but in looking at data from other states that have paid leave programs for years, the impact seems to be pretty clear. Ms. Frye, in states like Massachusetts that have paid leave programs, do we see positive economic outcomes, both for workers and for businesses?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

This is terrific. I really appreciate your explaining all of this. Paid leave helps families improve their economic security and it's good for businesses at the same time because we get higher workforce participation when we do this. Clearly there is a need for leave programs, especially for women workers. But the state you live in shouldn't determine whether you can take time off from work to care for a sick family member at the same time that you're trying to put food on the table. We need a national paid leave program. President Biden has called for it. It is time for Congress to act on this. Thank you again. I yield, Mr. Chair."

Source