SHRM Statement on President Biden's Paid Leave Proposal

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) Chief of Staff and Head of Public Affairs Emily M. Dickens released the following statement on the paid family and medical leave plan included in President Biden's proposed federal budget.

"Thirty years after its passage, it is time to modernize the Family and Medical Leave Act. Far too many workers do not have access to paid leave in times of illness or crisis, leaving families struggling to earn a living and care for loved ones. SHRM is hopeful President Biden's budget, coupled with the work of Congress' new task force on paid leave, will lead to progress on this critical issue.

"Congress should expand access to paid leave to more workers, provide flexibility to employers in program design, and increase regulatory consistency for multi-state employers. SHRM proposes a voluntary federal insurance market that allows employers to fund paid leave benefits by tapping into pooled resources, which would increase worker access to paid leave while reducing risk to individual employers. SHRM will continue its advocacy for these reforms because we believe bipartisan solutions for paid family and medical leave are within reach."

About SHRM

SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today's evolving workplaces. More than 95% of Fortune 500 companies rely on SHRM to be their go-to resource for all things work and their business partner in creating next-generation workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org and on Twitter @SHRM.