Scientific Opinion Poll: California Small Business Owners Overwhelmingly Support the Expansion of Paid Family Leave Program

Sacramento, Calif. — Following Governor Newsom’s announced budget trailer bill, which outlines plans to expand California’s paid family leave insurance fund, a new scientific opinion poll released today found that small business owners of all sizes overwhelmingly support the expansion of California’s state-run paid leave program.

The survey, conducted by Chesapeake Beach Consulting on behalf of Small Business Majority, found broad support among small business owners on an array of policy proposals like increasing wage replacement, extending the amount of leave time available to employees and universal job protection.

Specifically, 61% of small employers indicated they support extending the amount of time an employee can take to bond with a new baby from eight weeks under current California law to nine weeks, and the same percentage of employers (61%) support increasing the amount of wage replacement they may receive through the state fund during this time. Currently, employees receive 70% of their wages while on paid leave, leaving low-wage workers disproportionately less likely to utilize the program.

The study found that the majority of business owners support increasing wage replacement of up to 90% for low-wage workers (those earning under $45,000 annually) and 75% for all other employees. Additionally, the opinion data reveals that nearly 6 in 10 small business owners support universal job protection of California workers by requiring all businesses with one or more employees to protect an employee’s job while on leave.

“As a small business owner and new mother, I have a unique perspective on the benefits paid leave can have for my business and for new families,” said Jaymee Del Rosario, owner and CEO of International Metal Source in Buena Park. “While current California law does not require that I provide job-protected leave or 100% wage replacement to my team of 10 employees, on multiple occasions I have done so for new parents at International Metal Source and the ROI is unmatched. Small business owners know the value their employees bring to their businesses, and in highly-skilled industries like mine, retaining talented employees is paramount to our success. Expanding California’s paid leave program and providing benefits to employers to do so is not only the right thing to do—it levels the playing field and makes good business sense.”

“California is home to some 4 million small businesses, which account for 99.8% of the workforce in the Golden State. These employers are driving our economy,” said Small Business Majority’s California Program Director, Xiomara Peña. “In fact, the smallest employers are experiencing the largest job growth, and entrepreneurs know—as revealed by the survey—that expanding the paid leave program would have a resounding impact on small firms that would otherwise not have the resources to offer paid leave and will ensure that California’s entrepreneurs are competitive on the job market.”

The survey reflects interviews of 350 small business owners with 2 to 99 employees. It has a margin of error of +/- 5.3%.

For the full report, please visit: https://smallbusinessmajority.org/our-research/workforce/california-smal...

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