A former State Department official and current high-powered investment banker is adding his voice to those calling for legislation that would create paid leave for the parents of newborn children or those caring for ill family members.
Tom Nides, who served as Deputy Secretary of State and is now a vice chairman of Morgan Stanley, favors paycheck deduction pools that would compensate workers during family leaves.
"I am totally aware, as a businessperson and as someone who’s been involved in public policy for a long time, that this is difficult for a lot of companies,” Nides said. “This is expensive. But we’ve got to begin having this conversation in the United States."
Arizona Representative Ron Barber is co-sponsoring the federal Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, which has been introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate.
Rhode Island became the third state in the country to offer workers paid family leave on New Year’s Day, joining California and New Jersey.