DLT receives funds for paid leave study

THE R.I. Department of Labor and Training received $161,417 from the U.S. Department of Labor to fund a feasibility study on paid leave.
THE R.I. Department of Labor and Training received $161,417 from the U.S. Department of Labor to fund a feasibility study on paid leave.

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Labor and Training has been awarded $161,417 to fund a feasibility study on paid leave.
The federal funds from the U.S. Department of Labor, announced by U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. James R. Langevin and David N. Cicilline and Gov.Lincoln D. Chafee, will be used to study the effectiveness of the Rhode Island Temporary Caregiver Insurance Program and its benefits for Rhode Islanders, as well as the public’s awareness of the program.
Rhode Island, California and New Jersey have expanded their state disability insurance programs to cover family leave.
This federal grant will provide data and analysis to help Rhode Island develop best practices and allow other states to learn from Rhode Island’s experience with developing and implementing paid family and medical leave programs at the state level.
Chafee said in a statement, “With both parents working in many Rhode Island families today, we decided that working mothers and fathers shouldn’t have to face the anxiety about possibly losing their jobs if and when family emergencies arise. That is why I signed the paid leave law in July of 2013, and I am pleased to see that it is a success.”
DLT Director Charles J. Fogarty said the paid leave law was implemented in January, and that families are using the temporary caregiver insurance program. He said that in August, the TDI division handled 468 TCI claims and that 3,200 have been handled for the year.
“Anecdotally, our front-line call center employees hear every day how much Rhode Islanders need and appreciate paid leave. We look forward to using this grant money wisely to measure just how effective we think paid leave is,” Fogarty said in the news release.
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 requires that employers with 50 or more employees provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for major life events such as birth, adoption or seriously ill family members, or their own health needs. Paid leave programs have been shown to improve health outcomes for children, ill adults and seniors; reduce turnover and increase employee retention, which cuts down on training costs for businesses; keep workers attached to the labor force; and boost earnings over time, according to the news release.

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