June 23, 2022
When PL+US was founded we named a bold north star: win paid leave by 2022 and then close our doors. We knew that by taking on this goal, we would need to take risks; some would pay off while others would fail. But win or lose, we committed to sharing what we learned along the way in service of the leaders, organizations, and movements that come after us. Here are 4 lessons that stand out:
June 9, 2022
Statement from Molly Day:
“PL+US was founded in 2016 as a time-bound campaign to win federal paid family and medical leave for every working person in the U.S. by 2022. It was a bold and ambitious vision to win transformative public policy with a campaign-style time horizon and approach.
April 27, 2022
Twitter, AirBnB, Reddit, DoorDash, Dove Men + Care, Chobani, Keen, theSkimm, others join the renewed business community call for a federal paid leave program
Washington, D.C. —Today, with the help of Paid Leave for the United States (PL+US), more than 350 businesses from across the United States doubled-down on their support for the creation of a national paid family and medical leave program.
The renewed push comes, despite stalled progress towards passing the paid leave proposal in the Build Back Better Act, as businesses grapple with a pandemic-fueled labor shortage, the reluctance of hundreds of thousands of U.S. women to return to the workforce at pre-pandemic levels, and a national conversation about the future of work in the country.
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Feb 28 2022
Ahead of tomorrow's State of the Union, PL+US is releasing the below statement issuing a call for renewed support for a national paid family and medical leave policy.
Statement from Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US):
"As our country faces instability abroad and challenges for working families at home, President Biden has a tremendous opportunity to seize the moment at the State of the Union and underscore his commitment to a national paid family and medical leave policy. Our hope is that the president uses the State of the Union as a moment to demonstrate his support for paid leave and call on Congress to work with the Administration to pass this critical policy.”
Dec 23 2021
Statement of Molly Day, Executive Director, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US) on the Archewell Foundation’s generous contribution:
"Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been steadfast champions for families and paid family and medical leave, and we are grateful for their support and recognition in this critical moment. As we look to the New Year, and our work ahead, we are deeply honored to know we have them in our corner.”
Nov 19 2021
Statement of Molly Day, Executive Director, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US) on the U.S. House passage of the Build Back Better bill including paid family and medical leave:
"The U.S. House just delivered a historic victory for working families with the inclusion of a national paid family and medical leave program in the Build Back Better Act. Now, it is up to Senator Schumer and Senate Democrats to make good on their stated commitments to working families and ensure paid leave is included in the final Build Back Better bill.
"There has never been a more important and urgent time to pass paid leave. Paid leave will make our families, businesses, and our national economy stronger and help us to truly build back better and more equitably. Our champions in the House, including Speaker Pelosi and Ways and Means Chairman Neal, deserve tremendous credit for their tenacity and commitment to working people and their consistent vision and hard work to pass paid leave. These leaders and the entirety of the House listened and delivered for parents, caregivers, and the 100 million Americans currently without a single day of paid leave.
"In the days and weeks ahead, we'll work hand-in-hand with our allies in the Senate, the White House, and the national advocacy movement to ensure that paid leave remains in the final legislation that makes it to President Biden's desk. The Senate, specifically Senate Moderates, cannot turn their back on the urgent needs of women, communities of color, and every working family in this country. The time to take action and pass paid leave is now, not later.
“With the Build Back Better Act that just passed the House, the U.S. Senate has a historic opportunity to deliver transformative, once-in-a-generation change, including the passage of our country’s first national paid family and medical leave program, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to ensure they do.” -- Molly Day, Executive Director, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US)
Nov 03 2021
Statement of Molly Day, Executive Director, Paid Leave for the US (PL+US) on Speaker Pelosi’s admirable announcement that Paid Family and Medical Leave will be included in House version of the Reconciliation Bill:
“We applaud the House’s inclusion of Paid Family and Medical Leave in their Reconciliation Bill, and hope the Senate will follow their lead.
“We are deeply appreciative of our champions in the House, notably Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Neal, as well as leaders in the Senate who have refused to give up on paid leave, and used their voices to fight for what working families across America overwhelming support and urgently need. Women especially have made their voices heard -- online, in their communities, on the steps of the Capitol and in the backyards of leaders Schumer and Pelosi. Their message has been clear: we cannot build back better without paid leave and any final package must include this critical legislation.
“It will take the collective efforts of our champions in Congress, the White House and our national advocacy community to take this legislation across the finish line. We look forward to working arm and arm with the White House and Congress to ensure Paid Family and Medical Leave is part of the final package and becomes a reality for all working families." -- Molly Day, Executive Director, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US)
Nov. 2 2021
Leading House champions Chairman Neal, Chairwoman DeLauro, Chairman Scott and others joined Senators, Families in urgent plea to include paid leave in the final package.
WASHINGTON D.C. – November 2, 2021 – Today, paid leave supporters and families from all across the country hosted an all-day event spotlighting the human costs of not having a national paid leave policy. Over 20 Senate and House champions – including Senators Gillibrand, Murray, and Wyden, Chairman Neal, Chairwoman DeLauro, Chairman Scott and others – joined in this all-day effort urging Congress to return paid family and medical leave to the Build Back Better legislation before final passage.
Today, Paid Leave for the United States (PL+US) brought together dozens of families in Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s neighborhood of Park Slope outraged by an initial Build Back Better deal that cut paid leave, urging him to fight to return paid leave to the legislation before passage.
Oct. 27 2021
Today, Congress zeroed in on an initial framework of the Build Back Better deal that fails to include any plan for paid family and medical leave. Despite consistent reports of a four-week program, reports this afternoon suggest that the current proposal includes zero weeks of paid leave.
The following is a statement from Paid Leave for the US (PL+US) Executive Director Molly Day on the need for any final deal to include a federal paid leave program:
“It’s outrageous and shameful that in the midst of a global pandemic that’s forced more than 2 million women out of the workforce, Congress and the White House have put forward a preliminary legislative deal without paid family and medical leave. Let’s be clear: A budget deal that does not include paid leave fails working families and will not allow us to build back better.
Oct. 27 2021
Today, with reports circling that paid leave’s inclusion in the Build Back Better budget deal may be in jeopardy, more than 1,000 businesses, including nearly 300 business leaders, reaffirmed their commitment to a federal paid family and medical leave program.
In a number of letters organized by Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US), Main Street Alliance, American Sustainable Business Council, MomsRising, Small Business Majority, and Time’s Up and aggregated together into a single list by these organizations, businesses urgently call on Congressional leaders and the President to ensure that all businesses, and all workers, have access to paid leave that covers parental, caregiving, and personal medical leave.
As the White House and Congressional leaders work towards finalizing the legislative framework of the Build Back Better budget deal, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US) Executive Director Molly Day issued the following statement:
“We were glad to hear the President prioritize the inclusion of his legacy-making paid family and medical leave legislation in the Build Back Better Plan during his town hall last night. A permanent four week federal program that supports parental, caregiving and personal medical leave would be a win for working people and families everywhere; however, a temporary paid leave program is insufficient. It is imperative that the final bill meets the desperate needs of working families with a permanent federal framework. A permanent paid leave program will make a difference to working Americans not just through 2024 and 2026, but for years to come. By creating a strong foundation that working people and businesses can rely on, a permanent paid leave program will provide a lasting opportunity to stabilize families, grow the economy, build racial equity, expand opportunities for women, and improve outcomes for children.
25 leading organizations fighting the addiction public health crisis sent members of Congress a letter urging the passage of the national paid leave program currently under consideration in the Build Back Better legislative package.
October 7, 2021
Amidst reports in the New York Times, AXIOS, and elsewhere suggesting that key care priorities in the Build Back Better budget bill are being potentially reduced or cut, Molly Day, Executive Director of Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US), issued the following statement:
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2021
CONTACT
Neil Sroka, neil@paidleave.us, 847-219-8491
30 leading organizations supporting families with infants in Newborn Intensive Care Units urge Congress to pass national paid leave
Organized by the NICU Parent Network, the groups say national paid family & medical leave would be “life-changing,” lead to better outcomes for over 380,000 families each year
This morning, 30 leading organizations that support Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) families sent members of Congress a letter urging the passage of the national paid leave program currently under consideration in the Build Back Better budget reconciliation legislation.
Organized with the help of the NICU Parent Network, the groups signing the letter hail from 17 different states across the country and represent the more than 380,000 families with a baby in the NICU each year.
“A national paid leave program would be a game-changer for our most vulnerable babies and their families,” said Keira Sorrells, Founder and Executive Director of NICU Parent Network. “Too many parents face the heartache and devastation of having to leave their new baby fighting for its life in the hospital and return to work, because they have no paid leave. Congress needs to pass national paid leave legislation now, for our babies and for our families.”
The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world with no national paid leave policy, and this call for action comes just as Congress is debating the contents of the upcoming budget reconciliation package -- which currently includes 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave as a direct benefit to workers, paid for by the federal government at no cost to employers.
The letter highlights numerous studies that demonstrate how babies experience better outcomes when families are able to be physically present in the NICU, and says, “The very future of our families is dependent on this critical lifeline.”
According to the studies cited in the letter, parents’ ability to bond with their baby is directly related to an infant’s shortened hospital stay, improved mental health for parents, improved rates of breastfeeding, improved long term behavioral and cognitive outcomes of the children, and overall improved family cohesion and functioning. Furthermore, the presence and involvement of parents has been documented to have positive effects on the growth and development of the premature infant brain.
The letter also cites how paid leave is a key element of addressing racial, class, and gender disparities in this country, as families of color and parents in low-wage jobs are among the most likely to have a preterm or critically ill newborn and the least likely to have access to any paid leave from their employer.
“Over a thousand new families endure the trauma of having a baby in the NICU each day,” Sorrells emphasized. “Our families can’t wait. We need Congress to pass national paid leave now.”
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About NICU Parent Network
NPN (NICU Parent Network) is the premier professional organization for NICU Parent Leaders who collectively support and represent the needs and best interests of NICU families. Representing over 40 NICU Support Organization members across the United States, the UK, and Australia, we envision a world where all NICU families are an essential and integral member of their baby’s care team. Learn more at http://nicuparentnetwork.org
About PL+US
PL+US (Paid Leave for the United States) is the national campaign to win paid family and medical leave for every working person in the US. PL+US has helped win paid family leave for nearly 8 million people through our transformative workplace campaigns at companies like Walmart, Starbucks, CVS and more in partnership with employees, employers, consumers, and investors. Learn more at: http://paidleave.us/
Sept 10, 2021
“People like me are struggling to make ends meet because they don't have paid leave or affordable child care options, which is ridiculous. It just hurts our economy by forcing people like me out of the workforce.”
Richmond, VA. – As Congress finalizes its historic budget reconciliation package hundreds of Virginians gathered for a teletownhall to explain why families shouldn’t have to choose between caring for a family member or themselves and a paycheck -- and why businesses do better when their employees don't have to juggle work with caring for children and loved ones. A recording of the event is available on the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy Facebook page here.
Sept 9, 2021
The House Ways and Means Committee just concluded its mark-up session of the paid family and medical leave component of the Build Back Better budget reconciliation legislation.
The following is a statement from Molly Day, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US) Executive Director, following today’s historic step towards the passage of national paid leave:
“Today is a landmark day in the decades-long fight to pass paid family and medical leave.
“Thanks to Chairman Richie Neal’s leadership, the House Ways and Means Committee is moving forward with a bold plan for 12 weeks of comprehensive paid family and medical leave as part of the Build Back Better reconciliation package.
“While the fight won’t be over until the legislation makes it onto President Biden’s desk, our country is now one step closer to passing a historic paid leave policy that will strengthen our families, our businesses, and our country’s long-term economic growth.
“As today’s hearing made clear, this is the moment to pass paid leave and we remain committed to making sure they seize it.” -- Molly Day, Executive Director, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US)
August 31, 2021
This afternoon, Paid Leave for the US (PL+US) hosted a virtual roundtable discussion to spotlight the untold stories of millions of aging adults and family caregivers across Arizona, a state representing the broader caregiving crisis happening across the United States.
As Congress debates potential national paid leave policy, this timely discussion featured opening remarks from AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond, and stories from veteran, small business owner, and Latinx caregivers, moderated by PL+US Executive Director Molly Day.
August 30, 2021
On August 31st at 12:30 PM MST/3:30 PM EDT, Paid Leave for the US (PL+US) will host an open press virtual roundtable to spotlight the untold stories of millions of aging adults and family caregivers across Arizona, a state representing the broader caregiving crisis happening across the United States. As Congress debates potential national paid leave policy, this timely discussion will feature opening remarks from AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond, and stories from veteran, small business owner, and Latinx caregivers, moderated by PL+US Executive Director Molly Day.
August 12, 2021
Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US) hosted Biden administration officials and business leaders in two different Instagram Live conversations on the positive impact that the Build Back Better plan’s paid family and medical leave program will have on working families and businesses in the U.S.
Participants joining PL+US Executive Director Molly Day on Instagram included U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC) Deputy Secretary Don Graves, Small Business Administration (SBA) Assistant Administrator Natalie Madeira Cofield, Levi Strauss & Co. Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Tracy Layney, and Former Executive Chair of Reddit and Founder of Seven Seven Six Alexis Ohanian.
