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Potsdam AAUW chapter says they support paid family leave initiative

Posted 5/5/15

POTSDAM -- The local chapter of the American Association of University Woman is calling May 6 “Paid Family Leave Day.” They say groups of people will go to Albany that day to advocate that the …

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Potsdam AAUW chapter says they support paid family leave initiative

Posted

POTSDAM -- The local chapter of the American Association of University Woman is calling May 6 “Paid Family Leave Day.”

They say groups of people will go to Albany that day to advocate that the state Senate pass a paid family leave bill that has already cleared the Assembly.

If passed, the bill would create a new benefit under the New York State Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) system, a program that has been in place since 1950 and which employers already have to follow. It would provide for up to 12 weeks of paid leave for a new child, to care for a seriously ill family member and to deal with issues that arise when a family member is called to active military service, according to the AAUW.

“AAUW-NYS fully supports the passage of the proposed Paid Family Leave Insurance Act,” said Donna Seymour, Potsdam, the state organization’s newly re-elected public policy vice president. “Only 11 percent of the private sector workforce has paid family leave through their employers, and fewer than 40 percent have personal medical leave through an employer-provided temporary disability program.”

“Without these policies, balancing the responsibilities of work and family can be difficult for employees, negatively impacting productivity, making recovery from major illnesses or injuries difficult, and in some cases inhibiting the healthy development of children,” a statement from the AAUW said.

The law would create an insurance program fully funded by small deductions from employee payroll of 45 cents per week in the first year. The benefit replaces an employee’s salary while on leave. Employers can then use that employee’s salary to cover any cost associated with the leave (i.e. overtime, temp employee). The new benefit will not interfere with businesses that already provide paid family leave for their employees, but will help to offset their existing costs, according to the AAUW.