Rewriting the Rules: Small Businesses Lead on Paid Leave (January 12, 2017)
By Heather Whaling, Geben Communication
As we prepare for a new presidential administration to be sworn in, the dialogue around paid family leave continues. Only 13 percent of American workers receive paid family leave benefits through their employers, yet 72 percent of Americans support paid leave.
We have no idea if a national paid leave policy will be enacted under this administration and Congress, and it typically takes large corporations a significant amount of time to review and update processes. But small businesses, with less bureaucracy and more flexibility, can develop and implement policies far quicker.
By offering employees progressive paid leave policies, small businesses can create a competitive advantage and use it to attract top talent: people who also believe that paid leave should be a right for all employees, not just luck of the draw.
But implementing a paid family leave policy isn’t just a competitive tactic, it’s the right thing to do. Small-business owners and entrepreneurs are often on the forefront of innovation. Now we have an opportunity to also innovate workplace policies to catch up with the needs of today’s workforce.