There is bad news and good news about our state’s paid family leave program.
The bad news: Rhode Island offers both the lowest wage reimbursement rate, and the fewest number of weeks of paid leave, to those taking paid family leave anywhere in the country, making this key program inaccessible to far too many families.
The good news: There are proposals on the table to expand paid family leave and make it far more accessible for Rhode Island families.
The coming week is a critical time if these bills are going to move forward in the House and the Senate, and lawmakers need to know that you want these improvements—will you sign the RI WFP petition today? It is embedded below!
The data and stories over the last year could not be more clear: families need reliable, economically sufficient, and comprehensive paid leave benefits to care for loved ones during times of intense stress and change.
That’s why we’re asking legislators to expand the number of weeks available for paid family leave from 6 to 12, and to increase the rate of wage reimbursement. This will help make paid family leave a viable option for thousands more of our neighbors to take care of a newborn child or a sick family member.
All families, regardless of income, should have greater access to this program that has already helped so many Rhode Islanders weather the economic and health turbulence brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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