Campbell introduces paid family and medical leave proposal

INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) today introduced an amendment to House Bill 1007 that would require the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to establish a paid family and medical leave program for employees across the state.

“This proposal is about helping working Hoosier families,” said Campbell. “As a working mother, I know how tough it can be to balance work, caring for your kids and caring for aging parents at the same time, it can be exhausting. Implementing a paid family and medical leave program will help our children, women and seniors live healthier and happier lives.”

Under Campbell’s proposal, employees would be eligible for up to six weeks of paid family medical leave when they have earned at least $6,300 from their employer over a 12-month period. This program would be administered by the Department of Workforce Development and funded through payroll deductions, similar to unemployment insurance.

Eleven states and Washington D.C. have introduced paid family leave programs. Research shows the benefits of paid family and medical leave are vast, including: decreased rates of infant mortality; healthier babies with better health outcomes later in life; mothers who are better connected to the workforce; more productive employees; and a reduction in the gender pay gap, to name a few.