House speaker proposes new tax to fund paid leave for Maine workers

Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon is proposing a bill to provide Maine workers with up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave for childbirth that would be funded by a 0.5 percent tax on worker earnings.

If passed, Maine would join a handful of states that offer paid family and medical leave to workers, allowing new parents and those suffering from a major illness or caring for a sick relative to collect part of their wages for three months or longer.

The bill would expand on a federal law that requires most employers to give employees unpaid family or medical leave of up to 12 weeks.

Changing the benefit from unpaid to paid will make it more realistic for families to use the benefit, Gideon said. One in four mothers goes back to work within two weeks after childbirth to avoid losing pay, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.

“We think this is one of the most important policy proposals, not just to help Maine families, but to help us as a state achieve one of our most important goals, attracting a strong, vibrant workforce,” Gideon said in an interview Tuesday. She said paid family leave could give Maine a competitive advantage over states that don’t have the same benefit and help with Maine’s workforce shortage by encouraging more young families to move to Maine.



https://www.pressherald.com/2019/01/15/house-speaker-proposing-paid-family-and-medical-leave-for-maine-workers/