Illinois Above Average In Accommodating Working Families

Illinois is doing a better job than most other states when it comes to protecting and accommodating working families. That’s the conclusion of national study.

The Family and Medical Leave Act  requires employers to provide up to three months of unpaid leave, so workers can care for a new child or seriously ill family member.  The National Partnership for Women & Families is out with a report on the federal law and related state measures. The group’s Vicki Shabo says overall, the U-S still falls short.

"(That) cost families, it costs children in terms of their development and their outcomes," she said. "It costs retirement savings, it's a drain on other public programs."

Shabo says a positive is that in 2014 Illinois passed a law to require accommodations for nursing mothers in the workforce. But she would like to see the state expand other rules, like giving more than 3 months of unpaid leave for dealing with care of a newborn or seriously ill family member.

"It could also adopt a paid sick days law, like the city of Chicago did recently," she said, "so that workers are earning an hour of paid sick time for every 30 or so hours they are on the job up to a limit of a reasonable amount of days per year."

Right now, Illinois does not require employers to provide pay for new moms or dads who take time off. The organization is also lobbying Congress to establish a paid family and medical leave insurance program. Illinois is one of 14 states, plus Washington, D.C., to get a grade of B or higher.