The Truth About Paid Family Leave

Paid Family Leave is an important issue that both sides of the aisle can agree on. However, there’s a right way of going about it and a wrong way. Unfortunately, Democrats are going about it the wrong way, and their plans could leave small businesses holding the bag and leaving workers with less money in their Friday checks. 

Under the Democrats’ current proposal, workers would be given two types of leave just three months after starting a job. The first would be medical leave that would apply for pregnancy or serious health battles. The other would be family leave which would cover maternity leave or caring for family members who have fallen ill. Together, both plans would give workers almost six months off. 

While supporters of the legislation suggest the program targets bigger corporations, in reality it would apply to all businesses – whether they’re a mom and pop shop or Best Buy. Even more worrisome, it doesn’t take into account the current labor shortage our state is facing. Even now, small businesses across the state are struggling to find workers and are having to adjust hours or even close their doors. The bill would also require employers to keep the position open for the employee on leave, creating an employment crisis for small business owners across the state. 

So how do Democrats plan to make Paid Family Leave a reality? It wouldn’t be an industry-driven program. Rather, it would be a new state department run by more than 300 new government employees paid for with your tax dollars. 

One thing Democrats never really mention is the cost. While most Minnesotans would assume Democrats would use some of the $17.6 billion surplus to pay for their extensive government program, the reality is that they plan to increase the payroll tax to generate more than $1 billion a year in new revenue to pay for their massive government-run program. 

While Paid Family Leave is incredibly important, the Democrats’ plan would create a crisis for employers statewide that could drive small businesses to close their doors permanently. It’s time for Democrats to head back to the drawing board and put employers and employees at the forefront of the conversation, not their personal agenda to grow government.