(The Center Square) – In 2024, Illinois will become the third state to mandate employers provide employees with paid time off for any reason, but now there are groups lobbying for more paid time off.
The Illinois Time to Care Coalition is urging state lawmakers to pass the Family & Medical Leave Insurance Act, which would create a statewide insurance program that allows workers to use up to 26 weeks of paid leave.
“The federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which passed 30 years ago, was an important advancement for working families, but that only provides unpaid leave, and not all working people qualify,” said Sarah Labadie, director of Advocacy and Policy for Women Employed. “Thirty years later, 62% of Illinois families cannot take the unpaid leave they need without risking their jobs or their economic security. It’s past time to change that.”
Under the proposed legislation, workers could use their paid, job-protected leave for several reasons, including to welcome a new child, to maintain a pregnancy, due to a public health emergency, or due to school or child care closures.
With a contribution from employers, supporters said the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act would allow employees to earn more than half their weekly wage while on leave, with low-paid workers earning up to 90% of their weekly wage.
“It’s really disheartening that the General Assembly would even consider proposing additional leave benefits after they just passed mandated paid leave a little more than a month ago,” National Federation of Independent Business Illinois State Director Chris Davis told the The Center Square.
Davis said the legislation would place a burden on small businesses around Illinois.
“Not only pay an employee while they’re out not working for a business, but in addition, potentially have to pay an employee temporarily to fill in that gap,” said Davis.
Eleven states and the District of Columbia have paid family and medical leave laws.
