Anonymous wrote:DC residents who work for the Feds or in VA or MD are eligible if they pay into the fund. They can choose to participate or not. If they don't pay in, they cannot get any benefits.

Non DC residents who work for the Feds in DC also have the option to pay into the fund. If they do not pay into the fund, they cannot use the benefit.

So, let's calm down. DC is not expecting a handful of business to fund this entire thing and allow a bunch of freeloaders to take advantage.

As a frequent critic of the ineptitude and other glaring flaws on the DC Council, I must say I'm extremely proud to see DC at the forefront of this. It's about time Americans get on board with the paid leave every other country in the world offers. I hope this passes and we see the rest of the country follow suit. It's inexcusable that the United States is so far behind the rest of the world on this.

I hope you're right about this, but I don't think you are. I think it's DC residents who work for the feds can opt in by paying, but residents of MD or VA who work for the feds (like me) will be SOL.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a flaming liberal, a woman, a feminist. I've never voted anything except Dem in my life. I'm a mother and I've had to be out of work due to having my babies. I run the finances and HR of a ten million dollar business downtown. Including our FMLA leave (currently 16 weeks unpaid under the law)

I think this proposal is outrageous. The Feds are exempt from the tax??? But they get the benefit? DC residents who don't work in DC, whose employers don't pay in, get the benefit? ??

For a benefit like this to work, everyone should have to pay to play. You don't pay in, you shouldn't get paid out.

Why not just negotiate with a short term disability provider to offer STD at advantageous rates to DC residents and DC employers?

I think it's unfair to expect say, a small business that is privately owned to fund a STD benefit for the rest of DC. I would absolutely move my business to VA if they did that. I have been trying to convince our top exec to move to VA anyway for the cheaper rent and other tax advantages.

I think for paid FMLA leave to work, you need a really large pool paying in. I don't think it's fair to expect what amounts to comparatively few businesses in DC to fund paid FMLA leave for a universe this large.

Just my opinion.

You can only take the benefit if you or your employer has paid. District non-fed employers of more than 20 employees will pay a tax for their employees. This means that anyone who works in DC (excluding those who work for the federal government or small employers) will be eligible to take this benefit because their employers pay for it. DC residents who do not work for an employer who is required to pay in (i.e., those who work for small employers, or feds) are eligible to pay their own tax in order to be eligible. In other words, in order to take the benefit, the District Dept of Revenue must have received your buy-in. Everyone who is "playing" will have "paid".

Your point about FMLA is correct--you do need a large pool paying in in order to make this work financially. Unfortunately, your alternative of private STD for city residents is in direct conflict with this.

FWIW, I'm a fiscally-conservative libertarian, and I don't consider myself a feminist. I've had one baby, and took 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave. I agree that negotiating with an STD provider to provide a good rate would be the best, but I know good rates come from good risk pools. What would most likely happen under this scenario is that those who anticipated needing STD would be the only ones to purchase it. If everyone who has bought into the policy is likely to take out $16,000, what do you think the buy-in rate has to be in order for the insurance company to just break even? This was one of the reasons why the individual mandate was needed for the ACA--the risk must be spread around in order to keep rates down.

Also, you undoubtedly already know this, but most STD benefits for birth are 6-8 weeks. The proposal would pay for a full 16 weeks of family leave, which is much more generous than an STD carrier is going to offer.

Anonymous wrote:DC residents who work for the Feds or in VA or MD are eligible if they pay into the fund. They can choose to participate or not. If they don't pay in, they cannot get any benefits.

Non DC residents who work for the Feds in DC also have the option to pay into the fund. If they do not pay into the fund, they cannot use the benefit.

So, let's calm down. DC is not expecting a handful of business to fund this entire thing and allow a bunch of freeloaders to take advantage.

As a frequent critic of the ineptitude and other glaring flaws on the DC Council, I must say I'm extremely proud to see DC at the forefront of this. It's about time Americans get on board with the paid leave every other country in the world offers. I hope this passes and we see the rest of the country follow suit. It's inexcusable that the United States is so far behind the rest of the world on this.

"The measure, developed with the help of the Obama administration, would allow residents to take paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a terminally ill relative, or for just about any life-changing event in between."

So please clarify; those eligible include:

All DC residents who work - even if their employer did not pay in
All workers who work in DC,
but not Feds if they reside in VA or MD
Unless those VA and MD residents pay into the system, is that right?

If the DC residents are not paying in, they should not get the benefit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/paid-family-leave-proposal-arrives-with-force-before-dc-council/2015/10/06/e6de8a8c-6c43-11e5-9bfe-e59f5e244f92_story.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You choose to have a baby and you should pay for it, not the taxpayer. If you cannot afford to go without a paycheck for four no the them you cannot afford a child. We banked my salary for three years before having a child and did not buy a house until I went back to work, 10 years later.

Honestly. Shut up. I am as far right as they come it the rest of the world actually recognizes there is a benefit to encouraging the next generation. You should not have to have a dual income with half banked for three years and forgo buying a house for 10 to have a kid. Insanity.

I am liberal and I do not believe in paying for your maternity leave. There are plenty of so.en having babies every year. Mostly illegitimate. So the next generation is taken care of. Also, I do not need you are your children to fund my retirement.

You are not a liberal.

Anonymous wrote:I really don't know what to feel about this. I used to do workers compensation law. I am aware of several employers who either moved their base operations out of the city, or adamantly refuse to make their home base in DC because the WComp laws in DC are far too generous compared to MD and VA.

And of course, I suppose this new DC law will not affect DC residents working for the Feds.

There may be many reasons to locate an office in MD or VA as opposed to DC. Worker compensation insurance is not one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You choose to have a baby and you should pay for it, not the taxpayer. If you cannot afford to go without a paycheck for four no the them you cannot afford a child. We banked my salary for three years before having a child and did not buy a house until I went back to work, 10 years later.

Honestly. Shut up. I am as far right as they come it the rest of the world actually recognizes there is a benefit to encouraging the next generation. You should not have to have a dual income with half banked for three years and forgo buying a house for 10 to have a kid. Insanity.

I am liberal and I do not believe in paying for your maternity leave. There are plenty of so.en having babies every year. Mostly illegitimate. So the next generation is taken care of. Also, I do not need you are your children to fund my retirement.

But you need my children to provide care for you when you're old. You will need them to work as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, handymen, gardners, nursing home employees. Don't pretend you can just somehow live as a hermit because you've saved money. A family friendly work environment is good for society as a whole.

I am sick of hearing "'s o only friendly" be sure all of means is more entitlement programs. You want fully paid maternity leave, breaks to pump, free time to take your kids to medical appts., when do you plan to do your job. It is bad enough that an employer has to hold your job for you for the 12 weeks of FMLAand now they will have to hold it for six months! I am absolutely certain that you would also want your FMLA tacked onto your paid leave in this DC Govt. scheme. You are the most selfish, greedy, entitled generation ever.
I hope and pray this does not pass.

I plan to do my job for the next 40+ years of my life, as I did right up until an hour before I left for the hospital in labor and as I have since I returned from maternity leave. When my kid is sick of course I take her to the doctor. And then when she's resting I stay up and do my work. Or I make it up on the weekends.

We are absolutely not the most selfish, greedy, entitled generation ever. We are a generation that lives in an economy that generally requires both parents in the household to work. We are a generation for whom higher education is essential and extremely expensive. We are a generation that has come of age in a deep economic recession where those who are fortunate enough to have jobs are often expected to -- and willingly do -- quantities of work that would have been handled by multiple employees in the past. We are a generation that is expected to be available for work all the time. Asking for a reasonable period of time to recover from childbirth, bond with and establish a nursing relationship with an infant, and time to provide medical care for a sick child is asking employers to treat us like human beings. Yes, I do think we are "entitled" to that.

Also, 16 weeks is not 6 months.

I'm sure this program will always stay within the budget and that there will never have to be an increase in the tax, or borrowing from DC's overall budget. Programs like these never end up costing a lot more than you think they will.

DC residents who work for the Feds or in VA or MD are eligible if they pay into the fund. They can choose to participate or not. If they don't pay in, they cannot get any benefits.

Non DC residents who work for the Feds in DC also have the option to pay into the fund. If they do not pay into the fund, they cannot use the benefit.

So, let's calm down. DC is not expecting a handful of business to fund this entire thing and allow a bunch of freeloaders to take advantage.

As a frequent critic of the ineptitude and other glaring flaws on the DC Council, I must say I'm extremely proud to see DC at the forefront of this. It's about time Americans get on board with the paid leave every other country in the world offers. I hope this passes and we see the rest of the country follow suit. It's inexcusable that the United States is so far behind the rest of the world on this.

I'm a flaming liberal, a woman, a feminist. I've never voted anything except Dem in my life. I'm a mother and I've had to be out of work due to having my babies. I run the finances and HR of a ten million dollar business downtown. Including our FMLA leave (currently 16 weeks unpaid under the law)

I think this proposal is outrageous. The Feds are exempt from the tax??? But they get the benefit? DC residents who don't work in DC, whose employers don't pay in, get the benefit? ??

For a benefit like this to work, everyone should have to pay to play. You don't pay in, you shouldn't get paid out.

Why not just negotiate with a short term disability provider to offer STD at advantageous rates to DC residents and DC employers?

I think it's unfair to expect say, a small business that is privately owned to fund a STD benefit for the rest of DC. I would absolutely move my business to VA if they did that. I have been trying to convince our top exec to move to VA anyway for the cheaper rent and other tax advantages.

I think for paid FMLA leave to work, you need a really large pool paying in. I don't think it's fair to expect what amounts to comparatively few businesses in DC to fund paid FMLA leave for a universe this large.

Just my opinion.

Anonymous wrote:Time to move my business from DC to Maryland or Virginia.

This is exactly what will happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You choose to have a baby and you should pay for it, not the taxpayer. If you cannot afford to go without a paycheck for four no the them you cannot afford a child. We banked my salary for three years before having a child and did not buy a house until I went back to work, 10 years later.

Honestly. Shut up. I am as far right as they come it the rest of the world actually recognizes there is a benefit to encouraging the next generation. You should not have to have a dual income with half banked for three years and forgo buying a house for 10 to have a kid. Insanity.

I am liberal and I do not believe in paying for your maternity leave. There are plenty of so.en having babies every year. Mostly illegitimate. So the next generation is taken care of. Also, I do not need you are your children to fund my retirement.

But you need my children to provide care for you when you're old. You will need them to work as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, handymen, gardners, nursing home employees. Don't pretend you can just somehow live as a hermit because you've saved money. A family friendly work environment is good for society as a whole.

I am sick of hearing "'s o only friendly" be sure all of means is more entitlement programs. You want fully paid maternity leave, breaks to pump, free time to take your kids to medical appts., when do you plan to do your job. It is bad enough that an employer has to hold your job for you for the 12 weeks of FMLAand now they will have to hold it for six months! I am absolutely certain that you would also want your FMLA tacked onto your paid leave in this DC Govt. scheme. You are the most selfish, greedy, entitled generation ever.

I hope and pray this does not pass.

Wow. Giving birth seems like far from a selfless act to me. Your diatribe makes me sad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You choose to have a baby and you should pay for it, not the taxpayer. If you cannot afford to go without a paycheck for four no the them you cannot afford a child. We banked my salary for three years before having a child and did not buy a house until I went back to work, 10 years later.

Honestly. Shut up. I am as far right as they come it the rest of the world actually recognizes there is a benefit to encouraging the next generation. You should not have to have a dual income with half banked for three years and forgo buying a house for 10 to have a kid. Insanity.

I am liberal and I do not believe in paying for your maternity leave. There are plenty of so.en having babies every year. Mostly illegitimate. So the next generation is taken care of. Also, I do not need you are your children to fund my retirement.

But you need my children to provide care for you when you're old. You will need them to work as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, handymen, gardners, nursing home employees. Don't pretend you can just somehow live as a hermit because you've saved money. A family friendly work environment is good for society as a whole.

I am sick of hearing "'s o only friendly" be sure all of means is more entitlement programs. You want fully paid maternity leave, breaks to pump, free time to take your kids to medical appts., when do you plan to do your job. It is bad enough that employer has to hold your job for you for the 12 weeks of FMLAand now they will have to hold it for six months! I am absolutely certain that you would also want your FMLA tacked onto your paid leave in this DC Govt. scheme. You are the most selfish, greedy, entitled generation ever.

I hope and pray this does not pass.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Family leave should not be a selfish need. I guess you are right. We are entitled. People waking up and realizing employers need us as much as we need them, and a healthy economy and society are leveraged upon employers not being draconian rats who can walk all over their employees just because. This is not the feudal age; this is the 21st century and it is time we moved into it.

Children and family leave and work life balance should not be looked at as selfish demands, but as something we are entitled to, and available to only the well off. I tis not good for employees, employers, or society.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You choose to have a baby and you should pay for it, not the taxpayer. If you cannot afford to go without a paycheck for four no the them you cannot afford a child. We banked my salary for three years before having a child and did not buy a house until I went back to work, 10 years later.

Honestly. Shut up. I am as far right as they come it the rest of the world actually recognizes there is a benefit to encouraging the next generation. You should not have to have a dual income with half banked for three years and forgo buying a house for 10 to have a kid. Insanity.

I am liberal and I do not believe in paying for your maternity leave. There are plenty of so.en having babies every year. Mostly illegitimate. So the next generation is taken care of. Also, I do not need you are your children to fund my retirement.

But you need my children to provide care for you when you're old. You will need them to work as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, handymen, gardners, nursing home employees. Don't pretend you can just somehow live as a hermit because you've saved money. A family friendly work environment is good for society as a whole.

I am sick of hearing "'s o only friendly" be sure all of means is more entitlement programs. You want fully paid maternity leave, breaks to pump, free time to take your kids to medical appts., when do you plan to do your job. It is bad enough that an employer has to hold your job for you for the 12 weeks of FMLAand now they will have to hold it for six months! I am absolutely certain that you would also want your FMLA tacked onto your paid leave in this DC Govt. scheme. You are the most selfish, greedy, entitled generation ever.

I hope and pray this does not pass.

Anonymous wrote:Time to move my business from DC to Maryland or Virginia.

Yep! My thoughts exactly. And yet, I am a mom and a flaming liberal- but I just can't wrap my mind about how this would work with my small business.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You choose to have a baby and you should pay for it, not the taxpayer. If you cannot afford to go without a paycheck for four no the them you cannot afford a child. We banked my salary for three years before having a child and did not buy a house until I went back to work, 10 years later.

Honestly. Shut up. I am as far right as they come it the rest of the world actually recognizes there is a benefit to encouraging the next generation. You should not have to have a dual income with half banked for three years and forgo buying a house for 10 to have a kid. Insanity.

I am liberal and I do not believe in paying for your maternity leave. There are plenty of so.en having babies every year. Mostly illegitimate. So the next generation is taken care of. Also, I do not need you are your children to fund my retirement.

But you need my children to provide care for you when you're old. You will need them to work as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, handymen, gardners, nursing home employees. Don't pretend you can just somehow live as a hermit because you've saved money. A family friendly work environment is good for society as a whole.