Should states or cities require employers to provide paid sick or medical leave?

Why or

why not?

While the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) mandates that certain employers

provide eligible employees with unpaid family leave, the United States lacks national standards

on paid family or sick leave despite widespread support for such policies. In the wake of the

COVID-19 pandemic, elected officials at all levels of government have begun to focus more

closely on the issue of paid leave (DOI, n.d).

Considering things have evolved over the years from when Mothers used to stay at home to cater

for their kids and family, the current economic conditions and the recent covid19 pandemic

brough a lot of hardship to families. Men and women now have to work double jobs to fend for

their families and they barely have enough time to care for their children. As such, I support that

states be required by states to provide paid sick or medical leave to their workers. Workers who

have access to paid sick leave and family medical leave are better able to balance the needs of

themselves and their families with those of their employers. Women make up nearly half of the

workforce and are typically the primary caregiver for both children and elderly family members,

making access to paid leave a pressing issue for them. However, a large portion of American

workers lack access to paid leave.

Small businesses, in particular, may feel the effects of mandated paid sick and medical leave.

Costs for providing leave to employees may rise, causing a company to lose money, lay off

workers, or even go out of business. Therefore, policymakers must weigh the advantages of paid

leave against the costs that businesses would incur.

If you think that employers should be required to provide it, should it affect all employers?

Why?

When deciding whether or not to mandate that businesses provide paid sick or medical leave,

policymakers must take into account the varying sizes and financial resources of businesses. It

may be easier for larger companies to cover the costs of paid leave than for smaller ones. As a

result, the size and financial stability of businesses should be considered when crafting a policy

that mandates paid leave for employees. Small businesses will struggle with giving paid sick

leave. It could make small business owners dip into their pockets to pay for sick leave and family

leave.

What do the laws on medical and sick leave say about the United States as a country and a

society?

There are currently no mandated government guidelines for providing paid sick leave. There is a

need for unpaid sick leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for businesses that

are covered by the law (American Progress, 2023). Nonetheless, in over a dozen states and two

dozen municipalities around the United States, private firms are mandated to give paid sick leave

to qualifying workers. The United States falls behind many other industrialized nations because

of its absence of a government requirement for paid leave. This suggests that the United States

puts less importance than other industrialized nations on assuring employees' access to paid sick

and family leave.

Do laws like this express what we value as a country or society?

It is possible that a country's or society's interests and values may be recognized in its laws

governing medical and sick leave. Legislators who show they care by guaranteeing their

constituents paid leave are showing they value people's lives and livelihoods at work, at home,

and in the community. Providing paid leave also has the potential to reduce healthcare costs and

boost productivity, both of which would be good for the economy.

Does the lack of paid medical leave, or required leave for employers of all sizes, mean that

we place less value on family than other countries?

I don’t agree that lack of mandatory paid medical or family leave is an indication that we place

less value on family than other countries. First, we have to consider the peculiarities of all

businesses. Small business might not have the financial power to sustain paid sick and family

leave. However large corporations can.

References

American Progress. (2023, January 5). The State of Paid Sick Time in the U.S. in 2023. Center

for American Progress. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-state-of-paid-sick-time-in-the-u-s-in-2023/

Department of Labor. (n.d.). COVID-19 and the Family and Medical Leave Act Questions and

Answers. DOL. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from

http://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla/pandemic

Huttle. (2010, April 8). Paid Family Leave Act. YouTube. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT3JY5Xnlzo&list=FL2lO8-m-wxvZwlfTyuA5jOg