Family Medical Leave

Small Business Majority has created a comprehensive state policy agenda to ensure entrepreneurship is at the center of a thriving and inclusive economy in New Mexico. It’s critical that state lawmakers enact short- and long-term policies to support and empower entrepreneurs by guaranteeing their access to capital, an infrastructure that can support their ability to offer quality jobs, and their ability to compete fairly now and in the future. To achieve these goals, policymakers should consider the following policy proposals. 

On October 17, Small Business Majority and Good Business Colorado submitted comments to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment on proposed rules for private plans in the Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. The FAMLI program is an essential program for Colorado, which will provide employees of small businesses with access to paid family leave, and help small firms compete with larger companies.

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.