NEW HAMPSHIRE FAMILIES NEED PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
New Hampshire needs a strong workforce in order to have a strong economy. Caregiving duties are one of the biggest barriers keeping qualified workers out of our labor market.
Access to paid family and medical leave will help working people manage their caregiving responsibilities while maintaining their financial security.
- Currently two-thirds of working people in New Hampshire lack access to paid leave to care for a new baby or a sick family member, or to tend to their own illness.
- Workers in families earning less than $60,000 per year have less access to paid family and medical leave benefits than those with higher incomes.
- The economic value of unpaid caregiving provided by family members in New Hampshire is $2.33 billion, the cost of providing this care often is experienced as lost wages to working families.
Access to paid family and medical leave will address New Hampshire’s most significant challenges by helping aging workers stay in the workforce, increasing the odds of success for working people recovering from substance use disorders, and facilitating higher workforce participation among new parents.
Creation of a family and medical leave insurance program has broad, bipartisan support in New Hampshire.
A study by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire found broad support for family and medical leave insurance among Granite Staters.
- 82% of New Hampshire residents favor the establishment of a paid leave program
- 69% said they would be willing to pay $5 per week for this benefit
- 90% of employers in states with similar programs reported a “positive effect” or “no noticeable effect” on productivity, performance, and profitability
An actuarial study conducted for the Department of Employment Security concluded that the benefits and ongoing administrative expenses for a program covering all New Hampshire employees would cost an average of $5.11 per week per employee. This benefit would ensure working people in New Hampshire have access to up to twelve weeks of family and medical leave per year covering up to 60% of their wages when they need to take time out to care for themselves or a family member.
IT’S TIME TO ESTABLISH FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE INSURANCE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
OUR FAMILIES AND OUR ECONOMY DEPEND ON IT.