Paid Family Leave
Paid family leave has gained steam in a number of states. The FMLA blog notes that several states have enacted legislation or have pending legislation - notably California, Washington, New Jersey and New York. The New York proposal was passed by our state Assembly in some late day haggling at the end of their legislative session and now will likely be addressed by the state Senate in their next legislative session. This article from the New York Times - Spitzer Pushes Paid Leave Plan for Workers - discusses the Governor's push for paid family leave.
According to the New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition, the legislation would expand New York’s Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program to include paid family leave. The bill would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new baby or a newly placed adopted child, or for a seriously ill family member, including a spouse, parent, in law, sibling, child or domestic partner. Benefits – in line with current TDI benefits in New York – would be half of weekly wages up to a maximum of $170 a week. The proposal calls for the extension of benefits to be paid for by an increase in employer contributions.
Needless to say, the Business Council of New York State, a business advocacy group, opposes paid family leave.
As for me, unless we can come up with solutions for the administrative nightmare that FMLA already is and unless we can provide benefits without burdening small employers, it's just another tax on already over-burdened businesses in NY - particularly small ones. I'm not suggesting that the burden to care for family members should be overlooked by society and recognize that there truly are those who are torn between caring for family members and paying their bills. Unfortunately, however, the burden on certain employers, at times, outweighs the social benefit of this type of legislation.