OPINION: Paid leave would help small businesses compete with bigger companies

There are very few things that New Mexicans take more seriously than taking care of our families. Caring for each other is the foundational value that you can find embedded in so many of our traditions, from curanderismo to las posadas.

Caretaking is one of our most honored responsibilities because our families are the beating heart of our communities.

But unfortunately, putting this value into practice is incredibly difficult. Gather a group of any 10 people in New Mexico, and you will hear 10 different stories about painful sacrifices that have been made to care for loved ones and provide for our families. …

Every day, working families in our community are making sacrifices because family caretaking is a value deeply embedded in our culture.

But what if it were different? What if we could take the time we need to take care of ourselves and our loved ones, without risking our jobs and our financial stability? And what if New Mexico businesses could extend grace to workers in difficult situations, without taking on unmanageable costs?

The Paid Family Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) would create a new state-run program that would allow up to 12 weeks of paid leave for families welcoming a new child, and up to nine weeks for caregivers and individuals experiencing serious illness, survivors of intimate partner violence, and military families preparing for deployment.

Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia have already passed legislation like the PFMLA. These paid leave programs have created widespread benefits, such as increased financial stability for workers and lower turnover for businesses. Additionally, studies show that when women can access paid leave, they are less likely to have to choose between their careers and family caregiving needs, which can help close the gender wage gap and allow women to save for retirement.

It’s a big misconception that the PFMLA would be expensive for businesses. The opposite is actually true. The program is funded through modest payroll contributions by both workers and employers, and employees approved for paid leave under this program would get paid directly by the state.

And importantly, businesses with fewer than five employees won’t have to contribute to the fund. In this way, the PFMLA helps small businesses even the playing field and compete with bigger companies who already offer paid leave, without having to shoulder the expense.

New Mexico is ready to start protecting workers and their families during some of the most vulnerable and intense moments in their lives. Creating a paid family and medical leave program is not only a smart thing to do economically, it also reflects our family values.

Let’s get it done. Tell your representatives to support the PFMLA.

Emma O’Sullivan, of Albuquerque, is a workers’ rights attorney for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.