Nina In New York: We Are The Champions (Of Paid Family Leave)
A lighthearted look at news, events, culture and everyday life in New York. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
By Nina Pajak
Go New York, go New York, go!
We might be the last place anyone would want to retire, but we've just become the first state anyone should pick to start a family. Just last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law that grants New Yorkers the most generous family leave policy in the country. The country!
New parents will now be guaranteed up to 12 weeks of paid time off with no fear of job loss. And when they say parents, they mean all parents: not just those who are fortunate enough to personally give birth. This consideration also extends to those caring for an ill family member, or those who need to rearrange roles at home when a relative is deployed by the military. Here are the deets, from the Huffington Post:
The new policy will phase in gradually. Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, workers can get up to eight weeks off, at 50 percent of their weekly pay — to a maximum of about $630, which is half of the average weekly pay in the state. By 2021, they'll be able to get the full 12 weeks at two-thirds pay, as long as they have worked for their employer for at least six months.
Of course, when it comes to parental leave (which is the aspect of this I'll focus on since it's what I know best), we're still no Canada. Or England. Or Germany. Or France. Or Finland. Or, uh, most of the developed and developing nations of the world. The fact that it's taken this long and that we're starting from zero when the rest of the planet has long understood the value of protecting families is disheartening and embarrassing, yes. We're a little messed up, okay? But progress is always a good thing, and I'm proud that New York is the first state to take a truly meaningful step in the right direction. There are only a handful of states currently offering paid leave at all, and our 12 weeks make California's six look like chump change. Go ahead: tell us about your amazing weather again. Pssht. All I see from here are earthquakes and measles outbreaks.
Other states are in the process of either improving or introducing legislation to meet the standard NY has just set. Washington, DC is looking at 16 whole weeks, which I hope passes and forces everyone to stretch their minds even further. This should be beating a dead horse at this point, but it clearly isn't: allowing people to take the crucial time needed to care for and bond with infants isn't an act of charity. It's a basic human need and ought to be a universal right in this country. And it isn't just about the baby, it's about the parents, too. The stress of dealing with a newborn is monumental. Between the lack of sleep, the feedings, the pooping, the projectile vomit, not to mention the medical recovery for anyone who has experienced a birth, it's a wonder new mothers and fathers can get dressed and perform basic hygiene. To expect them to be able to go back to work right away is not only inhumane to them, but completely myopic of the business. They won't be getting focused, productive employees who will resume job function with vigor. They'll be paying resentful, sad, mostly braindead zombies to go through the motions in order to collect their paychecks and not completely upend their lives anymore than they already have. Then, lots of those people will just quit if they have any choice in the matter, leaving their companies with positions to fill and newbies to train. From a purely venal, capitalist perspective, that's just plain dumb.
So three cheers for our home state! I'm happy to be among the winners for the moment, but I hope all the rest of you 49 losers friends soon catch up to us and that some of you even beat us at our own game.
Nina Pajak is a writer living with her husband, daughter and dog in Queens. Connect with Nina on Twitter!
