Family Medical Leave

On August 29, small businesses and business organizations signed their names to a letter urging Governor Newsom to make worker-funded Paid Family Leave (PFL) and State Disability Insurance (SDI) more accessible to California’s low-wage workers. The letter outlines how California’s PFL program can level the playing field for California small business owners who want to provide quality jobs for their workers.

On August 5, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda submitted recommendations to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), concerning the proposed benefits rules of the Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. FAMLI will give small businesses a competitive advantage over large corporations, but only when CDLE considers the challenges and circumstances surrounding the small business ecosystem.

Today, John Arensmeyer testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship at a hearing, "The Small Business Workforce Challenge: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions." More than two years into the pandemic, small businesses are slowly rebuilding but need a vibrant stable workforce to fully recover. Entrepreneurs, especially those in under-resourced communities, need an array of support to address labor shortages and ensure employees are able to come back to the workforce. Mr.

Small Business Majority writes in strong support of SB 951, which would help more Californian small business owners and employees take paid time off from work to recover from illness, care for their family or bond with a new child without jeopardizing their economic security.  

On April 28, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda submitted comments concerning the outsourcing of the benefits process for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, a move that could compromise the integrity of this essential benefit for small business owners in Colorado.

On March 23, 2022 Small Business Majority submitted a letter to the Georgia House Committee on Industry and Labor in support of the Georgia Family Insurance Act (HB 1517), which would establish a state-run insurance program that would guarantee all eligible workers 12 weeks of paid medical and family leave.

On April 4, Small Business Majority, alongside Good Business Colorado and members of its national network, filed an amicus brief in support of Colorado's paid family and medical leave program, which will benefit small businesses and their employees. 

Today, Government Affairs Director Awesta Sarkash, submitted a letter of support to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee during the 2022 Virginia General Assembly in support of SB 1, which would create a paid family and medical program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of accessing paid family and medical leave. Now more than ever, there is a need for a modernized and robust benefits infrastructure, which would greatly benefit small business owners and their employees.

Today, Small Business Majority along with 13 local, state, and national organizations, sent a letter to President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin urging the leaders to reignite negotiations surrounding the Build Back Better package. The Build Back Better package provisions include access to affordable healthcare, childcare, paid family and medical leave, and leveling the playing field on taxes, which would benefit the small business ecosystem.