Opposition to paid family and medical leave is damaging to our business and economy

Comment:

As an entrepreneur, I know the importance of making smart investments that benefit both my people and my business. For this reason, I firmly believe that rejection of Senate Bill 11, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, not only harms our employees, it harms the overall health of our business community and our local economy.

One of the main reasons why denying paid family and medical leave is detrimental to businesses is that it leads to increased employee turnover. A situation that any business owner will agree to has real costs in the form of lost productivity, depleted team morale from the extra workload and loss of a colleague, damaged brand and all of which potentially leads to even more sales.

When employees are not entitled to paid leave, they are forced to choose between their work and the well-being of their families. This can lead to long-term health problems for parents and children, as well as reduced productivity and higher healthcare costs. For business owners, this means costs and disruption to our operations.

Opposition to paid family and medical leave also harms our ability to attract and retain our best employees. Offering paid vacations is becoming an increasingly important factor for job seekers, especially in this tight job market. Companies that don’t offer paid vacations risk losing top talent to their competitors.

Additionally, opposition to paid family and medical leave damages our reputation and our relationship with the community. As business owners, we know the importance of a positive reputation and the support of our community. Companies that do not offer paid leave run the risk of being seen as indifferent and unrelated to the needs of their employees and the community.

In addition, opposition to paid family and sick leave is also damaging to our economy. Paid leave helps promote gender equality in the workplace by making it easier for women to take time off to look after children and family members without fear of discrimination or career breaks. By promoting gender equality, we encourage a more diverse and inclusive workforce and economy.

It’s also worth noting that this year’s proposed Paid Family and Sick Leave Act would be implemented through a cost-sharing model, with employees paying 0.5% of wages and employers with more than five employees paying 0.4% of wages. Excluded are companies with fewer than five employees. This means that companies will not incur any additional costs as a result of the implementation of this directive.

I understand the importance of balancing the needs of our people with the needs of our businesses. For this reason, I firmly believe that denial of paid family and medical leave not only harms our employees, but also harms the overall health of our business community and the local economy. It’s time for our legislators to make paid family and sick leave a reality for all, so our employees can care for loved ones without sacrificing their livelihoods and so our company can have a happy, healthy and productive workforce.

Caroline C. Blaker is the director and founder of Aquarian Web Studio in Albuquerque, NM.