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Statement

Moms Celebrate as Amazon.com Extends Paid Parental Leave to All Full-Time Employees

November 3, 2015
Paid Family & Medical Leave

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Late yesterday, Amazon.com announced that they would be extending paid parental leave to all full-time employees, including workers at the company’s distribution facilities. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising.org, issued the following statement applauding the announcement
“Amazon’s announcement that they will be expanding paid family leave to all full-time employees, including workers at the company’s distribution facilities is a huge win for America’s families.  
 
A growing number local jurisdictions and successful companies have taken concrete steps to offer and expand paid family leave because they recognize that paid family leave is good for families’ and businesses’ bottom lines. Amazon.com’s policy, which offers up to 20 weeks of paid leave for new mothers, as well as up to six weeks paid time off for new dads, is proof positive that investing in families and workers is good for business.   
 
But still, in too many workplaces across the country, parents and businesses suffer from antiquated family economic security policies that leave the US as the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide families with the opportunity to earn paid family and medical leave to care for newborn infants, or elderly, sick loved ones. In fact, only 13% of American private sector workers have access to some type of family leave.
 
While we celebrate Amazon.com’s announcement, it is long past time that our elected officials take a comprehensive, national approach that will guarantee that ALL working families will have the ability to earn paid family and medical leave insurance.  You shouldn’t have to win the ‘boss lottery’ to be covered by this critically important policy that studies show boosts families, businesses, and our economy.”
 
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.