Statement by National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
WASHINGTON–No one should have to choose between caring for their health, or the health of a loved one, and keeping a paycheck or job. But nearly one in four Americans say they’ve lost a job or been threatened with job loss for taking time off work for medical reasons.
That’s why NOW has endorsed two vital bills to protect families and workers which are being reintroduced in the House of Representatives tomorrow—the FAMILY Act, which would create a national paid family and medical leave program for all workers, and the Healthy Families Act, to set a nationwide standard of seven days of earned sick time.
NOW members know how vitally important these measures are to millions of workers, families, parents, and children. Women, who make up nearly half the workforce, pay the highest price for the nation’s failure to provide paid sick days. And women of color are especially harmed, as the combination of inequities, including the racial wealth gap and institutionalized racism present more obstacles that make families of color less able to withstand the financial strains presented by serious family or medical events.
NOW has always been at the forefront of the fight for equality and fairness, and national standards for paid sick days and family leave are essential building blocks to meeting the health and financial needs we all face.
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