Across our country, people are standing up and demanding fair working conditions. These debates are about more than just pay and hours worked. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fact that people’s lives do not solely revolve around their jobs.
Workers’ wages, hours and paid time off should reflect their whole lives—as individuals with complex and changing needs. Namely, people need to be able to take time away from work when they need to, especially when that means taking care of themselves or a loved one. They need paid family and medical leave.
As women legislators, we’ve both spent our legislative careers fighting to expand these policies. We’ve seen how individuals and families can flourish when they have the support of good paid leave policies, and we’ve seen how they struggle when they don’t.
