Maine people need paid family and medical leave

As a supervisor, I am responsible for working with employees to develop plans for when they need to be out of work.

Many part-time employees do not earn any paid time off, however some employers do provide a small amount of paid time off prorated for hours worked. One part-time employee I supervised was earning a small amount of paid time each pay period. However, it was not enough to cover a few days leave which this employee requested to care for his sister after surgery.

This employee had to choose between two bad choices, lose income from taking unpaid time off, or leave their sister without adequate care and supervision after a major medical procedure.

If paid family and medical leave had been in place, the employee could have fully focused on taking care of their sister during a time of medical need, rather than worrying about how they would pay bills.

In addition, the person having surgery may have had a shorter recovery time and less medical complications post surgery because they would have been able to get the care at home that their doctor recommended, not just what the employee I supervised could afford to provide in terms of lost income.

We must support LD 1964, An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Commission to Develop a Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program.

Lacey Donle, Lisbon Falls