**Nearly two-thirds of Granite State workers don’t have access to paid family leave to care for a sick family member**

Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) is backing legislation introduced by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) that would create a national family leave program. The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (The FAMILY Act) would establish a fund to provide new parents and people caring for a sick family member with paid leave options. Currently, neither New Hampshire nor the federal government has paid assistance for employees on family leave.  

“No new parent should have to choose between providing for their family and spending important time caring for and fostering the development of a newborn,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “Similarly, no one should lose their livelihood because they need to care for an ill family member. It’s just not right. We must enact policies that support hardworking families in New Hampshire and around the country with commonsense paid family leave policies. It’s good for families and businesses that will benefit from higher worker retention and less turnover.”

A recent University of New Hampshire study found that, “About one-third of New Hampshire workers have jobs without extended paid leave to tend to their own illness; about half lack access to parental leave; and two-thirds lack access to paid leave to care for an ill family member.”

Additional information about the FAMILY Act can be found here.

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