The Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network Executive Director Elizabeth Brown on New Franklin County Paid Family Leave Policy

Statement by The Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network Executive Director Elizabeth Brown on New Paid Family Leave Policy for Franklin County Workforce

Columbus, Ohio — Earlier today, the Franklin County Commissioners announced that they had approved a new paid family leave policy to be implemented across their county workforce.Elizabeth Brown, Executive Director of the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network, issued the following statement in response to the Commissioners’ announcement:“We applaud the announcement by the Franklin County Commissioners that they are implementing a paid family leave policy across their workforce. Access to paid family leave is a critical part of supporting families and women. Parents who take paid family leave after the birth of a child report fewer sick days in subsequent months, greater workplace satisfaction, and longer retention with their employer.””It’s particularly encouraging to see that the Commissioners also have included paid leave for employees who care for a sick or aging immediate family member. There are more than a million Ohioans caring for an aging loved ones today, and over the next two decades that number will only grow. Workplaces who recognize the strain this places on women and men will have a competitive advantage in employee retention.”