Most Americans agree that family comes first. No matter where you work or what zip code you live in, you should be able to welcome a new child, to care for your mother when she has her knee replaced or to heal from cancer without facing financial disaster.
And yet in 2016, only 14 percent of private sector workers in the U.S. reported having paid family leave through an employer; less than 40 percent have personal medical leave through an employer-provided temporary disability program. The United States and Papua New Guinea are the only countries in the world without a paid leave law. Because 44 percent of American households don’t have enough savings to cover their basic expenses for three months, families are often forced to choose between taking time off to care for a partner or parent with an unexpected medical emergency or continuing to work so that they can keep their job and health insurance. The crisis is just as bleak for new mothers. Nearly 1 in 4 mothers return to work within two weeks of having a baby. Without the protections of paid leave, new mothers are 40% more likely to need food stamps or public assistance.
Weaving powerful stories together with insightful interviews with leading policymakers, economists, researchers, and activists, Zero Weeks lays out a compelling argument for guaranteed paid leave for every American worker. The film looks at paid leave from an emotional, medical, financial and global perspective.
Once a fringe issue, paid leave is now central to the national debate. The issue is not just political, it’s smart economics. Three states that have implemented their own policies—California, New Jersey and Rhode Island—have experienced greater economic stability. Companies like Google, which provide over 16 weeks of paid leave, have seen their rates of attrition fall by 50%. Paid leave is not just good for families, relationships, and the health of seniors, parents and children, but it is beneficial for business and our nation’s ability to compete on a global scale.
Join the Economic Policy Institute on Thursday, May 16, for a screening of Zero Weeks, a movie that chronicles the deep financial and emotional distress caused by America’s shameful lack of paid leave in the workplace
The screening will begin at 3:30 p.m., with introductory remarks from EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould, Director of Family Values @ Work Ellen Bravo, and the film’s director, Ky Dickens. The movie will start promptly at 4 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be served during the film and a brief reception will follow the screening.
What: Screening of “Zero Weeks: America’s Leave Crisis and the Cost of Doing Nothing”
When: Thursday, May 16
3:30 p.m Eastern
Who: EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould
Director of Family Values @ Work Ellen Bravo
Director Ky Dickens
Where: The Economic Policy Institute
1225 I Street NW, Sixth floor
Washington, DC 20005
Members of the media please RSVP to news@epi.org.