Report suggest using Social Security to ensure paid FMLAct

http://www.midatlanticlabor.com/appiesnet/wordpress/?p=1022

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSABE@AOL.COM

REGION, July 2nd- The Center for American Progress, a economic research and educational institute in Washington DC, released a study recently that makes the case for why adding family and medical leave to Social Security is perhaps the ideal way to finance paid family leave insurance. The report’s author is Center for American Progress Senior Economist Heather Boushey.

The report entitled “Helping Breadwinners When It can’t Wait,” suggest the United States government, unlike every other developed nation, does not require that workers have access to paid leave for the birth of a child or to care for a seriously ill family member. The federal government requires workers to buy (pay taxes) into a variety of social insurance systems to provide income, but some income like when they are unable to work or can’t find work, when retired, or during a long-term disability. However, the social insurance systems do no provide for any cash income when workers need time off to care for their family members or recover from a serous illness.

The report defines the program so that it’s clear that half-measures are no measures are no solution at all, then details how employers have thwarted national family leave policy proposals in Congress and also suggest solutions to the family leave crisis and how a Social Security program would work.

The Center for American Progress report states:

• Social Security Cares will allow workers to access Social Security benefits for income when they experience any of the three like events by the Family Leave Act; the birth or adoption of a child, the worker’s own serious illness, or to care for a seriously ill family member, for the same amount of time as the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLAct), which is a maximum of 12 weeks per year.

FULL story at link.