The constant stream of news out of Washington, D.C. is exhausting and I don’t know about you, but I am looking for every opportunity to put my energies where I know I can make a difference.

You can make a difference, right here in Connecticut, by urging your state lawmakers to stand up for Connecticut families and support paid family and medical leave. 

GREAT NEWS! One hurdle was recently cleared when, S.B. 1 and H.B. 6212, An Act Establishing Paid Family and Medical Leave, were both voted out of their respective legislative committees.[1][2]

This is a huge success, but we must continue to let our lawmakers know why paid leave is important for Connecticut families. This legislation checks all the boxes! It is affordable for Connecticut workers and businesses, is accessible to all working people, is inclusive when it comes to defining family, and offers a meaningful length of time, 12 weeks, for care and healing. The paid family and medical leave proposal is fully funded through an insurance-style program that lifts the financial burden off businesses. It’s common sense legislation for Connecticut families.

The Act Establishing Paid Family and Medical Leave is really important because right now, shockingly, only 14% of workers--and only 5% of low-wage of workers-- in the United States have access to paid leave through their employers.[3] Some families end up cobbling together vacation time and sick days and then cross their fingers that nothing goes wrong. Many families struggle to make ends to when they have to take unpaid leave and others cannot afford to take any unpaid time at all. This is why 1 in 4 new moms is back at work just two weeks after having a baby.[4] And 1 in 4 retirees leave the workforce earlier than planned to care for an ill spouse or other family member.[5]

Together we can change this! Together we can help win paid family and medical leave insurance for Connecticut so that families do not have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of a newborn or a spouse battling cancer!

But we have to act quickly. Connecticut lawmakers need to hear from you. Act Now! Send a quick note to our state lawmakers urging them to stand up for Connecticut families and support paid family and medical leave.

Together we can help make paid family and medical leave a reality for Connecticut families!

[1] S.B. No. 1 An Act Considering Earned Family and Medical Leave, Connecticut General Assembly
[2] H.B. No. 6212 An Act Considering Earned Family and Medical Leave, Connecticut General Assembly
[3] Paid Leave - National Partnership for Women & Families
[4] In These Times: The Real War on Families
[5] Keeping Up with the Times: Supporting Family Caregivers with Workplace Leave Policies, AARP Public Policy Institute