Statement of Jocelyn Frye, President, National Partnership for Women & Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 11, 2023 – “Today, Maine became the 14th state (including the District of Columbia) to enact a strong paid family and medical leave program, providing Mainers up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for themselves or family members – including extended and chosen family. Thanks to the tireless work of the Maine Paid Leave Coalition, as well as the Maine State Legislature and Governor Janet Mills, working people in Maine will no longer have to choose between their jobs or their families.

“This law is more evidence that robust, inclusive, comprehensive paid leave programs make sense not only for working caregivers, but for all employers – including small businesses – and the economy as a whole. While a series of states have made progress in making paid family and medical leave law, it is just a piece of our nation’s incomplete patchwork of paid leave policies to support working families. It’s time for federal lawmakers to take notice and act.

“Too many American families still cannot take time off from work without fear of losing pay or losing their jobs altogether. This is why we must continue the fight for a comprehensive, national paid family and medical leave program that will afford protections to the diversity of our workforce. A national program would both bolster existing state programs – like those recently passed in Maine, Minnesota, Delaware, Maryland and more – and ensure that workers can access paid leave no matter where they live. We will continue to work with our nation’s leaders and fellow advocates all across the country to fight for all workers to have access to the protections that enable them to take care of themselves and their families while earning a living.”

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