From Small Business Majority
Our poll results show that the majority of small businesses support the institution of these programs both nationally and at the state level.
Additionally, we found that many small businesses already have some type of policy, formal or informal, in place when it comes to family leave. These results are not surprising, as small businesses want to offer family and medical leave in order to support their employees and retain a productive and talented workforce, but many don’t have the resources to offer these benefits.
Here are key findings from this poll:
- Small employers believe it’s important to establish a national paid family and medical leave program: While small businesses are supportive of a federal law allowing eligible workers to take unpaid family and medical leave, the vast majority (70%) believe it’s important to establish a federal program to guarantee access to paid family and medical leave.
- Majority of small businesses support the FAMILY Act, legislation that would establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program funded by employee and employer contributions to ensure men and women in the workforce can receive up to 12 weeks of partial income: 7 in 10 small business owners and operators say they support creating a family and medical leave insurance program funded by both employer and employee contributions.
- Small employers support state-administered paid family and medical leave insurance programs: A majority of small businesses also support paid family and medical leave insurance programs set up at the state level that would provide employees with a portion of their wages for a limited number of weeks when the employee has a serious illness, has a new baby to care for or needs to care for a seriously ill family member. Sixty-one percent support state paid leave programs funded by both employer and employee contributions.
- Majority of small businesses offer some sort of parental leave to allow employees to care for a new child: 26% offer maternity leave, and nearly 4 in 10 (37%) offer both maternity and paternity leave. Sixty-nine percent offer full or partial pay and 18% offer pay depending on the employee.
- 7 in 10 small businesses have some type of policy—formal or informal—in place when it comes to family leave—time an employee would take to care for a family member with a serious illness or caregiving need: More than 7 in 10 (72%) small businesses have either a formal written policy, a consistent but not written policy or an informal policy offered on a case-by-case basis to provide family leave. Of those employers, 61% offer full or partial pay and 22% offer pay depending on the employee.