Survey shows support for paid family leave fund
BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Jul 13, 2016 | 7:46 pm
<1 min read time
0 wordsAll Latest News, Economic DevelopmentNew public opinion survey results from 15 states released today show strong support for new national policies that support working families.
By a nearly 2-1 margin, 61 percent of voters in these states, which include Iowa, support the creation of a national paid family and medical leave fund, 69 percent support a paid sick days law, and 57 percent support increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care, according to the survey. Among Iowans polled, 63 percent said they support a national paid family and medical leave fund, while 25 percent said they oppose it.
Commissioned by the 15 national organizations that make up the Work Family Strategy Council, the surveys were conducted among 9,611 registered voters July 7-10. Residents were polled in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Click here for Iowa results.
Key findings from the aggregated data:
- Voters across states say they favor a law that would create a national paid family and medical leave fund: 61 percent say they favor such a law, 44 percent say they strongly favor one, while 34 percent are opposed.
- A strong majority of people surveyed say they face challenges when managing job, family and personal responsibilities: 63 percent of full-time workers and 67 percent of part-time workers say they would be likely to face significant economic hardship if they had to take time from their jobs without pay to care for a new child, care for a seriously ill loved one or deal with their own serious health issue.
- Voters in all 15 states say they would be more likely to vote for an elected official or candidate who supports creating a paid family and medical leave fund.
According to the Work Family Strategy Council, only 12 percent of private sector workers in the United States have access to paid family leave through their employers, and only 61 percent have access to paid sick days. For lower-wage workers, access to paid time off to use for family and medical needs is even rarer, the organization said.
“These data reflect voters’ opinions in diverse states and clearly confirm that it’s time for a serious discussion about how the country will address the needs of working families by adopting national paid leave and paid sick days standards,” said Vicki Shabo, vice president at the National Partnership for Women & Families.
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