Bill Overview
Title: Job Protection Act
Description: This bill reduces from 12 months to 90 days the employment period required for employees (including federal employees) to become eligible for family and medical leave. Additionally, the bill makes the family and medical leave requirements applicable to all employers (currently, the requirements apply to employers with 50 or more employees).
Sponsors: Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
Target Audience
Population: employees globally who will have improved access to family and medical leave
Estimated Size: 160000000
- The bill impacts employees who are currently required to work for 12 months to qualify for family and medical leave by reducing the requirement to 90 days, thus increasing the number of eligible employees.
- It also impacts employees working in companies with fewer than 50 employees by extending family and medical leave provisions to all employers.
- According to the International Labour Organization, the global workforce was over 3.3 billion people in 2020. Assuming global workforce growth, the current figure may be slightly higher.
- The focus is on employees in the global context across various sectors and job types but especially attentive to new employees and those working in small businesses.
Reasoning
- The Job Protection Act will benefit two main groups: employees who currently need to work for 12 months to gain family or medical leave eligibility and employees of smaller companies that were previously exempt.
- The focus is on employees in small businesses and new hires, which includes a wide range of occupations and demographics.
- While the policy is designed to expand access to leave, actual impact may vary based on individual circumstances like job stability, family size, and current health benefits.
- Given the budget constraints, the policy will likely prioritize outreach and support for those most likely to benefit, i.e., those working in small or medium-sized enterprises, or those who are new hires.
- To ensure a diverse set of perspectives, the interviews include a mix of demographics and occupational sectors.
Simulated Interviews
Software Developer (Austin, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy is something I absolutely support. With a newborn, the flexibility to take leave sooner rather than later is invaluable.
- Being in a smaller company, I never had these benefits before, and knowing I can now is a huge relief.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retail Manager (Columbus, OH)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could be great for smaller businesses and the people working in them.
- Leaves under this policy would allow more flexibility to rearrange staffing without losing skilled workers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Graphic Designer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Since I'm a freelancer, this doesn't impact me directly.
- However, it seems like a very positive change for people who are trying to balance early stages of employment with personal responsibilities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Automotive Engineer (Detroit, MI)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our company already provides robust leave policies, so I don't foresee any change for us.
- This bill might be beneficial for others, but not much would change for me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Chef (New York, NY)
Age: 38 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's good to have this benefit kick in much sooner, especially in industries with high turnover.
- This might make smaller restaurants more appealing to workers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Customer Service Representative (Miami, FL)
Age: 27 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is really beneficial for someone like me who just started a new job.
- The ability to have leave quickly in case of an emergency is reassuring.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Business Owner (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This does put some additional management on me, but it also helps ensure employee well-being.
- Potentially increases loyalty, as long as we plan well for coverage when someone's out.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Barista (Seattle, WA)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel this policy would benefit both part-time and full-time workers like myself by ensuring we can handle unexpected family issues without job loss.
- It could make people less stressed about maintaining attendance.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Nurse (Chicago, IL)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm a unionized employee, so my benefits are already well-established.
- Might help new hires who haven't hit a year yet, but not personally impactful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Teacher (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Critical in ensuring we feel valued as private school staff, where benefits can vary greatly.
- Creates less worry about job stability during personal emergencies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1000000000 (Low: $800000000, High: $1500000000)
Year 2: $1020000000 (Low: $820000000, High: $1530000000)
Year 3: $1040400000 (Low: $840400000, High: $1560600000)
Year 5: $1082432000 (Low: $873945600, High: $1623648000)
Year 10: $1186699264 (Low: $949359411, High: $1780048896)
Year 100: $3172169098 (Low: $2537735278, High: $4758253646)
Key Considerations
- The cost estimate involves projections about the increase in the number of employees eligible for leave benefits.
- Enforcement and compliance monitoring by government agencies may require additional resourcing.
- The policy influences access to family and medical leave at a scale unprecedented in the U.S. labor history, potentially setting new standards for global workforce policies.