National business orgs launch Small Business for Paid Leave
Launching Small Business for Paid Leave, seven organizations who support small businesses join the growing movement for a national paid family and medical leave social insurance program.
As small business membership organizations, researchers, advocacy centers and organizers, we know business owners and employees alike experience the need for time to recover from a serious illness, care for a sick loved one, or welcome a new child. Protecting such time is good for business. It strengthens talent recruitment, boosts employee morale, and increases productivity. Most small businesses lack the scale and capital to offer and administer paid leave.
We need a national paid family and medical leave insurance program.
“For Main Street businesses, healthy families are part of our bottom line,” said Executive Director of the Main Street Alliance, Amanda Ballantyne. “Let’s level the playing field for small businesses, strengthen economic opportunities for our families and communities, and promote greater racial and gender equity by passing strong paid family and medical leave legislation.”
“Paid leave is not just a benefit to society, but to businesses’ bottom lines and the economy as a whole,” said David Levine, Co-founder and President of the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC). “That’s why we need a comprehensive paid leave program offered to every American family no matter where they work or live.”
"Small business owners know it makes good business sense to take care of their employees, as it’s crucial to retaining a productive and talented workforce," said John Arensmeyer, founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. "But unfortunately many small employers don't have the resources to offer paid family and medical leave, putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting and retaining employees. This is why we need a national paid family and medical leave insurance program, which is something small businesses overwhelmingly support."
With new opportunities to move strong paid family and medical leave policies forward nationally, Small Business for Paid Leave is a broad effort to support small business owners in speaking out on how a social insurance paid family and medical leave program is good for their business, employees, and community.
This campaign will support and advocate for paid leave policies that follow a set of principles that include full coverage, even for the smallest businesses; affordable costs, shared by employer and employee; and efficient public administration. The Small Business for Paid Leave campaign is working in partnership with the Paid Leave for All campaign.
“An inclusive family definition is an important aspect to a federal paid leave program,” said National LGBT Chamber of Commerce co-founder and President Justin Nelson. “We are excited to join with other business organizations to work for a national comprehensive family and medical leave program that covers everyone no matter where you work or who you love.”
Partners include Main Street Alliance, American Sustainable Business Council, Family Values @ Work, MomsRising, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), National Partnership for Women and Families, Small Business Majority and is continually growing.