Welcoming a new child, fighting cancer, caring for an aging parent – a handful of times in life, we all need to take more than a few days off work to care for ourselves or our families.

But too many Washington workers face an impossible choice: return to work too soon, sacrificing family health and well-being – or give up economic security.

• Workers already struggling with low wages and other challenges are least likely to have paid leave benefits.
• Only 43% of Latino workers report having any access to paid leave, compared to about 60% of other workers.
• People who work part time or in service jobs – disproportionately women and people of color – rarely get any benefits at all.

Five states have already responded to the problem of inadequate paid leave by creating Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI) for all working people.2 Washington’s legislature approved the beginnings of Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI) in our state in 2007, but due to the severity of the fiscal crisis has delayed implementation until 2015.