Working Families

Paid family and medical leave policies allow employees to balance working and the responsibility to care for a child, parent, loved one, or his or her personal illnesses or injuries. These policies guarantee that an employee can take this necessary time without jeopardizing his or her job or pay by ensuring that employers do not penalize or withhold money under these circumstances. This is very important for families and children because it allows for parents to provide financial support without compromising their ability to care for children and vice versa. Unfortunately, paid family and medical leave policies are not widely available in the United States, and those that exist have narrow definitions of “family” that are not inclusive of many LGBTQ family structures.