Paid Family Medical Leave

Paid Family Medical Leave

A strong, universal paid family and medical leave insurance program
is a key part of building a Vermont that works for all of us.

The Vermont Democratic-majority legislature has a plan for a strong, universal paid family and medical leave insurance program that:

•  Will help ensure that our families and communities are healthy. Providing Vermonters with the ability to take time to care for themselves and their  loved ones will support people when they need it most
• Is part of building a stronger small business economy and a healthy workforce. 
• Will help attract more young professionals to the state, encourage young people and families to stay in Vermont, and level the playing field for small businesses.   
•  Working Vermonters cannot continue to be forced to choose between being able to pay their bills or being there to care for a new baby or a loved one in need. 
•  This proposal will support our families and a healthy state economy.
    —Governor Scott stated his plan would cost “about a buck a day”
    —Our proposal as introduced would ensure all working Vermonters are covered, and would cost about .28 cents per day for a min. wage worker and around 70 cents per day for a worker earning the median income
•  The legislature’s approach is a tried and true model that has been successful in states across the country—and in countries across the globe

Governor Scott’s proposal:

• Lower wage workers are least likely to have access to paid leave on the Governor’s plan, which proposes a cap of 60% wage replacement. The lower the wage replacement level, the more inaccessible the leave becomes for lower-wage workers.
• Private insurance plans are too restrictive and will not meet the needs of Vermonters.
• Private plans are designed for profit and give the company incentive to deny claims. 
• A social insurance/ public model is designed to spread the risk among everyone and ensure that the benefit is available to everyone. 
• Without a universal insurance pool, the program will become cost-prohibitive for Vermonters and Vermont small businesses.
• Voluntary—or opt-in­­—social insurance programs are generally unsustainable and lead to higher premiums for those who do pt-in, as only those with an anticipated immediate need generally opt-in & draw benefits from the program, driving up premium costs.

The Democratic legislature’s plan will be more cost-effective and more successful.

Please consider contacting your legislators with your thoughts.