Easing the Nightmare

Working parents often need time off when a baby is born. Some companies allow mothers and fathers to take unpaid leave for up to three or four months and return to the same or a comparable job. But millions of Americans must choose between their jobs and their children.

The Family and Medical Leave Act, sponsored by Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), would allow a parent to take off as many as 10 weeks--as unpaid leave--after the birth or adoption of a child without losing a job. Millions of working parents, and their children, would benefit.

The national family-leave bill, expected to come up before the House early next week, would also allow parents to take time off to care for a seriously ill child or a critically ill elderly parent and return to the same or an equivalent position. Workers could also take off up to 15 weeks to recuperate from a serious illness like a heart attack. The unpaid leave would provide a little peace of mind during a difficult time.

The House bill would exempt businesses with fewer than 50 workers for the first three years. The legislation would cover 39% of the nation’s employees. An estimated 1.675 million Americans would be expected to take advantage of the benefit at a cost of $188 million to the businesses, according to the Government Accounting Office. After three years, the House bill would exempt businesses with fewer than 35 employers. That change would extend the coverage to 43% of the nation’s workers.

The Senate bill would exempt businesses with 20 or fewer employers, which would cover 47% of all workers at an estimated cost of $194 million. The bill, which is expected to come up on Thursday, differs from the House version in that it would not provide time off to care for elderly parents and would limit time off to recuperate from a personal illness to 13 weeks.

Business leaders oppose the proposed new protections because of the cost of continuing health insurance for their employees who take leaves of absence.

Despite business opposition at the state level, six states--Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin--have approved family-leave laws.

California’s workers will gain similar protections if the governor signs AB 2738 to allow mothers and fathers up to four months of unpaid leave to care for a new baby, a newly adopted child or a very sick youngster.

The measure, sponsored by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles), would allow workers with at least one year of continuous service at companies with a minimum of 25 employees to take one leave every two years. Additional requirements, like reasonable advance notice and the minimum duration of a leave, would be worked out by the state Fair Housing and Employment Commission.

The majority of mothers now work outside the home. Most work because they have to. The birth of a baby should not threaten a livelihood. The nightmarish illness of a child or an elderly parent should not lead to the devastating loss of a job. A reasonable unpaid-leave law would protect working parents and their children.