Paid Family Leave

I blogged last week about the Breastfeeding Promotion Act which would give employers tax incentives for making their workplaces lactation friendly.  I've also written about the need for guaranteed paid maternity leaves--something common in many other parts of the world.  These two things are critical on so many levels:

1) they will help increase breastfeeding rates

2) they could lead to lower healthcare expenses, something crucial given the ballooning out of control when it comes to our healthcare system

3) they are good for employee morale, which in turn is good for workplace productivity

And those are just a few reasons.

As it turns out, California is a leader when it comes to guaranteed paid time off for maternity leave.  Many believe the CA law could be the model for a national model.  Indeed, a few other states have followed suit.  But to get real results we need federal mandates if we want to contain healthcare costs, and increase breastfeeding rates.  It's time for legislators to step up to the plate.