The United States is one of the only countries in the world that does not provide a national right to paid family and medical leave – a glaring gap in the law that harms workers of all ages, but is especially detrimental for older adults as they age. Our new resource highlights how these supportive policies are essential for protecting families’ health and economic security, especially as the U.S. workforce grows older and more prone to chronic illness.
Older workers – including many who remain in the workforce out of financial necessity – often need access to paid medical leave to take time off work to manage their own serious health issues, without jeopardizing their paycheck or job. But even among older adults who no longer work, many rely on care from loved ones who are struggling to juggle work with caregiving, and are often forced to take a pay cut when they need to miss work to take care of their aging loved ones.
For young people who provide care to older loved ones, lacking a right to take paid leave can make it difficult or even impossible to continue earning their paycheck while caring for those closest to them. Some are even pushed out of the workforce entirely due to their caregiving needs, which can have a lasting impact on their careers and financial security. Studies show that workers who provide care to older adults also experience lowered stress and improved well-being when they can take paid family leave, demonstrating how these policies can be beneficial for everyone involved.
We’ve made great progress passing paid family and medical leave programs in fourteen states, and research shows that these statewide paid family and medical leave programs help older adults age in place and lead to tangible health benefits, especially as the U.S. workforce gets older and chronic health conditions become more prevalent.
Still, without a federal paid leave program, millions of older adults and their caregivers are being left behind. All workers – regardless of the state they live in – should have the right to paid family and medical leave to care for themselves and their loved ones. Passing comprehensive paid leave for all workers is a common-sense solution to support both our aging population, as well as the emerging workforce – a net good for families, communities, and our economy.