Advocates Push To Bridge The Gap Between Work And Family

Starting a family is no easy task, there is so much to consider and plan for that it’s a full-time job in itself.

For those parents who work, planning becomes a little more complicated as arrangements are attempted to be made with the employer.

And unfortunately, companies are not always considerate and accommodating when it comes to leaving your position to care for a new baby or family member that needs your help.

Add trying to get paid for that stint out of the office, and more barriers are sure to come up.

That is why a Christian organization is trying to urge legislators to find solutions to paid family leave time.

Paid family leave is when you can take time off from work for urgent family situations, such as a new baby in the family or your sick mother who lives with you, while still being given either partial or full salary.

The time off is usually only one to two months, and is not something you could take more than once a year. There are also criteria that have to be met in order to qualify for the time off.

The Christian Post reported:

A right-of-center Christian group is calling on employers and policy makers to support family leave programs. 

The Center for Public Justice, a Christian civic education and public policy organization that seeks to help citizens and public officeholders respond to God’s call to do justice, released a report Tuesday in support of paid family leave as Senate Republicans and Democrats haggle over how to pay for it.”

The report released is titled “Time to Flourish: Protecting Families’ Time for Work and Care.”

Inside the detailed description of the need for paid family leave, the CPJ highlights how there is pressure on families to provide care and financial security.

Many employees feel that they cannot receive time off for their loved ones without risking their job.

Not only does the CPJ call for policy makers to make paid family leave available for every employee, they also feel it is a company’s responsibility to find a synergistic approach to job security and allowing time for families to attend to their needs.

Workplaces, especially faith-based organizations, were also urged to align family-supportive values and workplace practices”, according to the Christian Post.

It is clear throughout politics and society that the traditional family, and it’s values, are under attack.

Conservatives are called names for wanting to keep children alive in the womb, and for respecting the institution of marriage as it was originally intended.

Public school systems teach children to accept LGBT lifestyles, and that girls should reject traditional roles such as staying home with their children.

The CPJ report writes on how they see work and family being both God-given duties that were meant to co-exist harmoniously:

God did not intend work and family to exist in conflict, but rather to complement one another. God calls humans to both family life and work. Families nurture and manifest the image of God in each person. They provide a critical foundation for a healthy society, raising the next generation of citizens, workers and family members. Work, though also an arena of image bearing, should not absorb the whole of life. God placed limits on work by setting apart the seventh day of creation for rest. Likewise, Christians honor God and make time for family, community and rest by observing the Sabbath and by recognizing the distinct seasons, rhythms and times in human life.”

In a rare occurrence, Democrats and Republicans are in agreement that there needs to be legislation in place to protect families who need to take time off to provide short term care.

The age-old problem is that despite bipartisan support there is a stark difference in the economical approach.

Forbes reported:

Democrats want to pay for it by increasing the payroll tax with a bill called the FAMILY Act.

Republicans, in the form of legislation by Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Iowa’s Joni Ernst, wants it to come out of the Social Security Trust Fund.”

Tax increases to pay for those in need have not fared well for this country, and should not be a continual line of support for future legislation.

If the funds were to come out of the Social Security Trust Fund, it would mean less money for you once you receive your Social Security benefits.

This concerns the left, because they see it as endangering the welfare of the elderly who rely on those benefits for their livelihood.

There is no simple and easy solution to coming up with the money to allow families to continue to receive a paycheck while not producing revenue for the company they work for.

Another option would be for companies to have a savings plan in place that supports their own employees during times of family responsibility, without having to call on government intervention at all.

If paid family leave was standard protocol for the entire workforce then parents would not have to stress as much about bringing another life into the world, or what they are to do if a child gets sick and needs additional care.

Society should work together to support the health and function of the family unit because it is the backbone of this nation, and the legacy for future generations.

Please let us know in the comments section if you think we should take the funds for paid family leave out of the Social Security Trust Fund, or if you see a different solution.