COLUMBUS – Minority Democrats in the Statehouse want Ohio to join the growing list of states that provide a way for workers to get paid family leave, framing it as a health issue that could reduce the state’s infant mortality rate, which is disturbingly high.
Under the bill they’ve introduced Representatives Christie Kuhns (D-Cincinnati) and Jamie Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) says workers would continue earning a partial salary when taking leave from work for a serious health condition suffered by themselves or a family member or to care for the birth or adoption of a child.
“Working families in Ohio shouldn’t have to choose between earning a paycheck and protecting their families,” said Kuhns. “The birth of a child or a loved one falling ill should not throw the entire family into hardship if a parent needs to take time off of work to be a caretaker.”
The two cited a 2015 report by Innovation Ohio which they say showed that access to paid leave has decreased deaths in the first month of life by 2.6 percent and in the first year of life of life by 4.1 percent.
“As Ohio continues to lose more babies before their first birthday than almost every other state in the nation, paid family leave is a thoroughly pro-life policy that will have positive health impacts for women and children,” said Boyd.
The bill is modeled after legislation that was introduced in Colorado, which requires employees to pay premiums into a fund through a paycheck deduction.
Four states – California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington –have adopted family leave laws, New York recently passed one and two Ohio cities – Dayton and Cincinnati – provide paid family leave plans for city employees.
San Francisco is poised to become the first place in the country to require businesses to provide fully paid leave for new parents. The measure approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors will give new mothers and fathers six weeks of fully paid time off.