Over the last year, all of our lives changed. Millions in our country got sick, hundreds of thousands lost their lives to the coronavirus, businesses struggled to stay afloat, and we saw that there has never been a more important time to care for ourselves and our families.

The COVID-19 crisis isn’t over, but when it is, we can’t simply go back to the way things were before — we have the opportunity to do better.

When we get sick, we need to be able to stay home and keep our co-workers safe.  When our loved ones need to be cared for, we need to be able to be there for them without worrying if we’ll get a paycheck or lose our jobs.  Now more than ever, we need paid family and medical leave for every working person.

Paid Leave saved lives and helped flatten the COVID curve.

The temporary paid leave provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that Congress passed in March 2020 prevented over 15,000 COVID-19 cases a day. The more robust plan being proposed by President Biden would cover more workers than the FFCRA and could play a critical role in supporting the vaccine rollout.

Paid Leaves saves jobs, especially for women and caregivers.

Women have lost over 5.4 million net jobs since the start of the coronavirus crisis</a>, with women of color bearing some of the greatest losses.  Paid leave would mean that women and men responsible for caregiving won’t be forced to choose between their families and their livelihoods -- even if schools and daycare centers have to close again.

Paid leave is broadly supported by voters and, increasingly, businesses.

85% of voters in key House and Senate battleground districts/states support paid leave and they prioritize it higher than other coronavirus relief measures. A recent study by PL+US and allies showed that businesses, small and large, found paid leave critical to weathering the pandemic and are increasingly ready to join the fight for national paid leave.