The Georgia General Assembly stands poised to pass three weeks of paid family leave for state employees in House Bill 1094.
For many years, the Metro Atlanta Chamber has engaged with a broad variety of business and community partners, public and private, to develop a body of Georgia-based research that supports solid policy recommendations for education and workforce. In particular, our partnership with GEEARS (Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students) produced several pieces of research and recommendations, seen here, called Opportunities Lost and Advancing Opportunity.
House Bill 1094, sponsored by State Representative Houston Gaines, aligns with a key recommendation which arose from discussions with Georgia parents, current and future, and is supported by our own research, to improve Georgia’s overall education and workforce development landscape – providing paid family leave.
Our published research, available at www.macpolicy.com, shows that Georgia loses almost $1.7 billion in economic activity each year equaling over $100 million in lost state revenue all due to issues related to the lack of accessible quality child care. While paid family leave is not the single answer for any employer, it is an essential tool for any Georgia employer wishing to attract and retain a talented workforce. We are encouraged by the recent extension of paid family leave to 2.1 million federal employees.
House Bill 1094 will also encourage many businesses who are exploring or already offering broad family benefit options to include paid family leave. The Metro Atlanta Chamber is proud to work with members of the Georgia General Assembly on policies that strengthen Georgia families, expand economic development, and continue to keep Georgia the #1 State to Do Business.
