Growing support for worker’s rights, including work-life balance and improved access to healthcare, has led state governments to consider the ways in which they support workers and how those services can be improved. 13 states plus the District of Columbia have taken steps to support community health by adopting and implementing Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) programs, which allow workers to take protected paid leave to care for a family member or address their own medical concerns. Data from the states with active programs has demonstrated their efficacy and necessity, but their unique design and implementation requirements mean that many states are unsure of how to move forward.
In this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, we spoke with Admira Makas, Director, Paid Family and Medical Leave at TCS – Tata Consultancy Services, to discuss PFML’s potential health and economic outcomes, the benefits it can have for employers, and how more states can take the next step toward PFML implementation.
“When states are first implementing this program, it’s new to them,” Makas said. “They don’t have a history of rules or procedures or day to day functions that help to inform the decisions that they’re going to be making on how to run this program. I think a really great way to help offset some of these concerns for states is to do that homework first: talk to your neighboring states about these challenges and how they approach them.”
Hear the full conversation where Makas shares her advice for creating a purpose-built, adaptable PFML program:
