It improves the bottom line for small companies

A national paid family and medical leave program would help the bottom line of small companies. At UrbanSitter, we use California's FMLA as the standard for our leave policy. With employees in four other states, we've had to navigate each employee's leave to adjust for varying levels of state support and then supplement as needed. This has been challenging to execute as a small company, not to mention expensive, but we believe it has been the right thing to do. A nationwide paid leave program would cover much of the expense we've been bearing, allowing us to invest that money in growth opportunities for our company or to afford temporary coverage to ensure business continuity while the employee is on leave. Both of these impacts would result in additional productivity and job creation.

Small companies across the board could realize cost savings, a reduction in turnover, and improved morale. Studies show that those who take paid leave are more likely than those with no paid leave to return to the same employer. In my state, studies on Calforina's FMLA have shown that 99% of surveyed employers reported paid leave having a positive or neutral impact on employee morale.

Let's level the playing field between big and small

The creation of a national leave policy would also start to close the gap on benefits being offered by large corporations and small businesses. It's a struggle for small companies to recruit and retain employees when competing against large corporations that wield the market power to offer hefty benefits. Jimmy Carter said, "America has always been a country of innovation and dynamism, entrepreneurship."

Small businesses are able to foster innovation and creativity faster and more effectively than large organizations in my opinion. I've seen some of the brightest, most innovative people turn down their dream jobs at small companies to take a job (or remain) at a large company solely for the medical and parental leave benefits out of concern that a child or elderly family member will need them. With more than 73% of employees in the United States caring for a child, parent, or friend, this is not a niche segment of employees being forced to make tradeoffs.

It's one step toward equality

The ultimate reason I support a national paid leave program is that it will improve equality in our country. The fact is that women still shoulder most caregiving responsibilities and are more likely to suffer from care-related job interruptions, which ultimately impact career advancement and earnings. Paid leave increases the likelihood that women will return to work. In addition, the racial wealth gap means employees and small business owners of color have less financial cushion for taking time off. A paid leave program would be the catalyst our country needs to close the race and gender wealth gaps.

The time is now

COVID has drawn attention to the acute need employees have for paid family and medical leave. In my opinion, a positive, unintended consequence of this timely attention is that it has surfaced the underlying and long-existing chronic need for a paid leave system. Employees who are caregivers have often shouldered this burden unnoticed. Employers and politicians alike are now vividly aware of American employees' need for a nationwide leave policy. We have a president who supports this type of policy, as well as the bipartisan support to push it through. Let's act now to strengthen the families and communities that sustain the hundreds of thousands of small businesses like mine.

Lynn Perkins is the founder and CEO of UrbanSitter. She is also the co-founder of FamTech, an organization of 160+ founders building forward-thinking solutions for all families.

Read more: 

• Better PFML programs can help keep women in the workforce
• Employer perspectives on a changing paid leave landscape
• Pandemic driving greater business support for paid leave