Paid leave makes sense

Only New Jersey, California, Rhode Island and a handful of U.S. cities have caught up with other parts of the modern world by requiring some form of paid leave for employees who need to care for sick or disabled family members or a new child. It's time for that to change.

U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez noted in a recent interview with the Inquirer Editorial Board, "We are the only civilized nation on the planet which doesn't have it." Britain, Brazil, Austria, and other nations with sophisticated economies long ago recognized that once women entered the workforce in large numbers, adjustments would be needed to help families care for children and elderly parents.

Meanwhile American women, who are the primary or joint breadwinners in two-thirds of U.S. families with children, too often can't get a day off with pay when they need it. When that happens, a mother or father must take unpaid time off or make some other costly or worrisome arrangement. Workers with elderly parents frequently face the same dilemma.

As a result, American women once led other advanced nations with a high workforce participation rate, but that number has declined since 1990 as other countries passed employee family leave laws while the United States stood still, according to a study by Cornell University professors.

It is unlikely that Congress, in its partisan paralysis, will provide relief anytime soon, but states can fix the problem. In New Jersey, workers can take up to 10 weeks off for family reasons and get paid up to two-thirds of their salaries. Workers pay for the benefit by having $1 withheld from every $1,000 of compensation for the purpose.

Despite horrific predictions from business groups, paid leave hasn't pushed New Jersey into an economic tailspin. But the law could be improved. Companies aren't required to guarantee workers sick time, which deprives workers of the ability to take advantage of paid leave. Philadelphia is the only Pennsylvania city that guarantees paid sick leave, but Pittsburgh is considering legislation. Philadelphia workers accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, with an annual cap of 40 hours of leave.

Without a state leave law, unenlightened employers can shirk their responsibility by moving their businesses outside the city. But Pennsylvania's Legislature can fix that by guaranteeing sick leave for all workers and coming up with a formula to pay for it. It makes good business sense. Reasonable leave policies reduce turnover, which saves employers the cost of seeking and training new workers. No workers should have to choose between putting food on the table and caring for loved ones. Paid family leave is compassionate, practical and long overdue.

- The Philadelphia Inquirer