Cost To Business, Employees At Center Of Family Leave Act Debate

DENVER (CBS4)- A bill that is designed to help Coloradans who don't qualify for federal paid leave was debated at the state House on Thursday. Supporters claim the bill helps employees but opponents believe it puts too much financial strain on small businesses.

The federal law for paid leave only applies to larger employers and as unpaid leave.

The state legislation would require all businesses in Colorado regardless of size to offer paid leave for up to 12 weeks.

"I feel like my story is not just my own," said Faby Gonzalez, who testified in front of state representatives in support of the Family Leave Act.

She said not having this benefit not only prevented her from being with her son in ICU after he was born, but also kept her from being at her dad's bedside when he died.

"I got a call at four o'clock in the afternoon, asking me if I wanted to take my dad off of life support," said Gonzalez. "Meanwhile I'm calling district managers, other managers to take over my shift, to get somebody to come in to relieve me. So I made the decision, at work, to go ahead and take my dad off of life support."

Gonzalez was among those who testified in favor of the bill that would allow employees to pay into a state-run insurance fund and receive at least 66 percent of their pay if they need time off.

The bill also requires employers to hold that position for the employee for up to 12 weeks.

"This goes down to even just the one employer who has one or two employees. So how could they possibly hold or guarantee a position for their business and still operate their business if that person is gone for up to 12 weeks of leave?" said Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry spokeswoman Loren Furman.

Representative Joe Salazar, a Democrat representing Thornton, argues that the cost of business is minimal, "This is not employer-paid. This is employee-paid. It's about $3 a week in order to have that benefit to have that insurance of knowing that, if something does happen, where you need to be paid during a period of time, that pay will be there."

"You shouldn't have to choose between your family and work to make sure that the bills get paid," said Gonzalez.

The state fiscal analysts say the measure would cost about $18 million just to set up the state agency that would run the program. Three other states have similar insurance funds and have had trouble getting enough workers to sign up to keep the funds solvent.

Under the legislation at the state Capitol, workers could have to pay an additional fee if not enough people participate in the program. A similar bill failed last year over concerns about cost.