Delaware Cares Coalition for Paid Leave
The United States is just one of 6 countries in the world that does not have a national paid leave policy. All of us will face a major medical event at one point in our lives. But for thousands of Delawareans, taking time away from work for a major family medical event means losing their only source of income or even losing their job. In Delaware, nearly 60% of workers do not even have access to unpaid leave at work. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these impossible choices for Delaware families, especially for women, people of color and low-wage workers.
Several states have already passed statewide paid leave laws, and it’s time for Delaware to join them. SB 1 – the Healthy Delaware Families Act – creates a statewide paid family & medical leave insurance program would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to Delawareans facing a qualifying event, including:
– To address a worker’s own serious health condition
– To care for a family member with a serious health condition
– To bond with a new child (including newborn, foster and adopted children)
– To handle matters relating to domestic violence
– To address the impact of a family member’s military deployment