This article is part of State of Health, a series about how Michigan communities are rising to address health challenges. It is made possible with funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

For more than a decade, Michigan advocacy groups and some legislators have been working  to expand paid leave from work for Michiganders – and this year, their efforts are paying off in two major ways.

One organization leading the charge, Detroit-based Mothering Justice, helped collect signatures in 2018 for a voter-initiated proposal for earned paid sick leave time, which the Michigan legislature approved that September before the proposal made it to the ballot. However, the legislature then significantly amended the legislation after the election in December 2018, deferring some of its promises and limiting others. On July 31, 2024, the Michigan Supreme Court declared those amendments unconstitutional and reinstated the initiative, which will go into effect in February 2025.

Meanwhile, Mothering Justice continued its efforts, resulting in the introduction this past May of a pair of new Senate bills to expand paid leave through Family Leave Optimal Coverage (FLOC), which further enhances the reinstated paid sick time legislation.

"When asking moms, ‘What are issues of your financial stability?’ they continuously talked about the role of caregiving and breadwinning being in competition and not having the opportunity to take time off to take care of themselves or a loved one without losing pay," says Danielle Atkinson, founding and national director of Mothering Justice. 

One of the bills’ sponsors, Michigan Sen. Erika Geiss, explains that FLOC would cover up to 15 weeks' paid leave for people welcoming a new child into their family by birth, adoption, or fostering; caregiving for a family member; spending time with a family member at the end of their life; dealing with long-term health issues; and more. FLOC would also provide 10 days of bereavement coverage.
Erika GeissErika Geiss.
"This is legislation that came from the voices of the people saying, ‘This is what we need government to do for and alongside us,'" Geiss said during an Aug. 2 press conference on FLOC. "We also put into the language the gold standard for family and the definition of who is defined as family, so that we are not leaving anybody out of the ability to have this necessary coverage. It would be a 90% wage replacement and would cover most workers — much more workers than are currently covered."

Geiss noted that the bills would require both employers and employees to contribute to the benefit, which would be managed by the state. Employers with less than 25 employees would not have to contribute, but their employees would still be eligible. An actuarial study not only proved that FLOC is easily feasible but also revealed that a state-run plan would be less expensive than private-run plans.

"I think it's important to posit that people should not have to choose between a paycheck and keeping the lights on, a roof over their heads, food on the table, the ability to get to and from appointments, or other things related to caring for themselves or others," Geiss said. "This is different than earned paid-sick leave, which was designed for shorter illnesses. … This is for when you unfortunately get a cancer diagnosis, or when you have a relative or you are a patient on dialysis, or you need to help someone in your family get to and from home to appointments. This is for that long-term need where the ability to take a few days off doesn't cut it."

Flint program proves value of paid leave

While Michigan legislators seek to pass the FLOC bills into law, the RxKids Flint program has demonstrated how paid leave could be transformational for new parents and the babies they welcome to their families. RxKids Flint provides parents a one-time, lump-sum, prenatal allowance of $1,500 and an infant allowance of $500 per month for the first 12 months of a new child's life. As of Aug. 5, the program had "prescribed" $2,485,000 to 937 enrolled families and 626 babies.

Ta'Sheena WilliamsTa'Sheena Williams."Short-term poverty really spikes before a child is born and remains high throughout that first year of life," says Ta'Sheena Williams, policy director for the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, one of the many public and private collaborators in the program. "Poverty can cause a lot of damage to brain development and the neuroendocrine and immune system. Poverty can cause harm, particularly in childhood. It can also lead to chronic diseases, decreasing life expectancy."

Parents can use the money to cover costs of formula, baby food, housing, and health care — whatever they need for the baby or themselves. Williams says the program has seen increased health care utilization and some families report using their Rx Kids cash prescriptions for transportation to medical appointments. It has also allowed new mothers to take time off from their jobs so they can heal and bond with their babies.

"They have better health outcomes. They're not as stressed," Williams says. "... Cash is very powerful, especially for families at this critical time. With the stress off their shoulders, we see families becoming happy and healthy. For the community as a whole, the payment that these families receive is stimulating their local economy. They're supporting their families, which supports the whole community."

While RxKids Flint keeps cash flowing when a new baby is on the way, FLOC will extend paid leave to Michiganders of all ages who need money to keep coming in during long-term illness or when caring for loved ones, be they parents, grandparents, a spouse, or a child.
Monique StantonMonique Stanton.
"We believe that paid leave is an important issue when it comes to both economic and racial justice in Michigan," says Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, another FLOC advocate. "Individuals – whether they're bringing home a child, their child is sick, they themselves need to be out for a surgery, or they're taking care of a parent that's in hospice and experiencing the end of their life – should be able to take that time without fear of losing their job or facing an economic crisis."

A benefit for all working Michiganders

Atkinson notes that FLOC will have numerous benefits for all Michiganders, including supporting public health in Michigan’s communities.

"We have folks going to work sick and putting others at risk, especially people with compromised immune systems," Atkinson says. "Then there is productivity. When you have to go to work sick, you are less productive. You're not able to do your job correctly. We call that presenteeism — you're there, but you're not really there. It just makes sense for people to be able to take the time off, get well, and then go back to work and not worry that they are in jeopardy of being in poverty."
Nick HagenDanielle Atkinson.
Atkinson says FLOC will be particularly beneficial for Michigan's many service workers, whose jobs involve more interaction with the public and therefore more possible exposure to illness. They also may be less likely to have access even to the unpaid leave promised by the federal Family Medical Leave Act, which is available only to public-sector employees and employees of private employers who employ more than 50 people 20 or more weeks a year.

"So many people, disproportionately women and low-income folks, can't take advantage of that federal protection," Atkinson says. "This allows people to do that and take the time that they need."

Stanton describes FLOC as a benefit for all working Michiganders. She states that while employers may oppose the measure, paid leave programs in other states have not had negative impacts on business.  

"Another way to look at this is it really helps level the playing field," she says. "Some businesses offer paid family leave, and others don't. If it is required as state law, all employers are participating. It means that you're able to offer an important benefit that you may not have otherwise been able to offer. You're not going to lose employees to other organizations that are able to offer a better benefit."

Estelle Slootmaker spends most workdays as a journalist and book editor. She also writes poetry and has two books underway: her great great grandmother’s memoir of childhood on Mackinac Island and a children's picture book. You can contact her at Estelle.Slootmaker@gmail.com.  

Danielle Atkinson photos by Nick Hagen. All other photos courtesy of the subjects.