Wisconsin State Journal. September 5, 2022.
Editorial: Pay parents to stay home with babies
Wisconsin should join the civilized world in requiring paid parental and family medical leave. Democrats have been supportive for years. Now Republicans seem to be coming around.
The governor and Legislature should get this done to help families thrive.
State and federal laws guarantee employees some time off after the birth of a child or if a loved one gets sick. The hitch is that, at most employers, the time off is unpaid. That leaves parents with a difficult choice. Do they forgo their income to be where they are most needed, or do they keep their paychecks coming and hope for the best?
For too many people, there’s no choice at all. They cannot afford to give up their income. Doing so could mean not paying rent or buying groceries.
The earliest weeks when a child comes home are crucial. Infants need constant care and attention that is better provided by parents than expensive child care. Parents and children — newborn or adopted — form critical bonds that can provide a foundation for success throughout life. Being at home helps parents’ mental health, too.
Employers also benefit from less turnover in the workforce when parents have a chance to adapt to their new lives.
Likewise, when a child falls ill or needs surgery, a parent is often the only person who can provide the care necessary while the child recuperates.
More companies are offering paid parental and family medical leave as a benefit. For example, Fiskars Group, which has offices on Madison’s West Side, gives 14 weeks of fully paid parental leave to mothers and six weeks to non-birthing parents. State Journal reporter Emilie Heidemann highlighted the welcome trend in her recent report “Family benefit gains traction.”
But many businesses do no more than the law requires.
That’s why Wisconsin should guarantee and standardize paid parental and family medical leave. A dozen U.S. states and most Western industrial nations require employers to provide paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child or when a family member is sick.
Wisconsin Democrats introduced a paid-leave bill earlier this year, but it stalled in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Now some Republicans are suggesting more support.
During a Republican gubernatorial primary debate, all three candidates indicated some degree of acceptance. Eventual nominee Tim Michels said his family’s construction company provides paid leave for both mothers and fathers. His campaign hasn’t been clear about whether that support for families would extend to a state law, but he’s offering some hope he might get behind it.
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ campaign said he supports 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.
Details such as how many weeks, whether it is fully paid and where the money comes from all need to be negotiated. Democrats have proposed a state insurance fund and employee contributions to cover costs. Another option could be tax credits. Small businesses shouldn’t be burdened with lots of expense.
Employers should allow not just moms but also dads and non-birthing parents in same-sex couples to stay home and get paid.
A common critique of the GOP is that its leaders stand for life before birth but then don’t provide support after. It’s an argument that has only gotten louder since the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and its constitutional guarantee of a woman’s right to an abortion. Working with Democrats to pass a compromise bill for paid family and medical leave would go a long way to blunt that criticism.
The family, in all its forms, is the fundamental building block of our society. It’s time Wisconsin mandates support for families with paid parental and family medical leave.
