Pennsylvania Small Business Support for Paid Leave – a letter to:

The Honorable Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania
The Honorable Kim Ward, President Pro Tempore
The Honorable Joseph Pittman, Senate Majority Leader
The Honorable Jay Costa, Senate Minority Leader
The Honorable Joanna McClinton, Speaker of the House
The Honorable Matthew Bradford, House Majority Leader
The Honorable Bryan Cutler, House Minority Leader

Dear Governor Shapiro, President Pro Tempore Ward, Leader Pittman, Leader Costa, Speaker McClinton, Leader Bradford and Leader Cutler:

As small business owners in Pennsylvania, we are writing to urge you to pass statewide paid family and medical leave legislation. Paid leave is good for families, good for business, and good for our economy.

In states with existing statewide paid leave programs, access to paid family and medical leave has proven to lead to better retention, personal health, and improved morale, which contributes to greater stability and viability for the workforce and for our businesses, ultimately helping our bottom line.

What’s more, a statewide paid leave program would help level the playing field for small businesses. We want to do right by our employees, but often can’t afford to offer the benefits that larger employers provide. Fourteen other states have created statewide paid leave insurance programs, and business owners in other states report that these programs have had a positive effect on their businesses. Our neighboring states of New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Maryland have all passed paid leave.

If we want to remain competitive and retain young families in Pennsylvania to staff and grow our businesses, we must do the same.

Impossible choices between work and family are forcing workers, especially women (nearly half of Pennsylvania’s labor force), to leave
their jobs. Access to a paid leave program would mean workers aren’t forced to leave the labor force to care for their families or health, resulting in better financial stability for families and increased worker retention for small businesses.

At a time when businesses across the country are struggling to recruit and retain employees, Pennsylvania’s labor force participation rate is lagging behind the average rate across states with existing paid leave programs, as well as women labor force participation. Numerous studies have shown that paid leave programs have a direct impact on increasing labor force participation. Access to paid leave would be a critical
tool in helping to solve current and future workforce challenges.

As small businesses, we are the backbone of Pennsylvania’s economy and communities across the Commonwealth. We strongly urge you to show your support for small business owners, like us, by passing a statewide paid family and medical leave program that benefits both workers and employers.

When small businesses thrive, we all thrive.

See the attached PDF for quotes and a list of small businesses signing onto this letter.