In recent years, the issue of paid family leave has grown in importance, with supporters arguing that its implementation will help the population’s health. The early life environment significantly impacts a person’s health and economic outcomes throughout their lifetime. According to a large body of research, paid family leave is vital for population health because it enables workers to take time off without facing financial hardship to care for themselves or their loved ones (Rossin & Uniat, 2019). Infant mortality rates can be lowered, postpartum depression rates can be reduced, and access to paid leave can improve mother and child health outcomes. If a parent can attend doctor appointments more readily while on holiday, the child may receive greater parental attention, breastfeeding, immunizations, and regular medical care.
The additional resources parents receive from paid family leave benefits may also improve children’s health. Parents could purchase wholesome food instead of going underpaid or quitting their jobs, for instance. Paid parental leave can also improve outcomes for the economy and labour participation. People are more likely to return from paid absence for family obligations and carry on working productively. As a result of lower staff turnover rates and higher productivity, firms may see more excellent economic results. Paid family leave can also prevent workers from becoming impoverished, which can improve community health in general. When time is taken off to care for a sick child or family member, paid family leave has additional health benefits that will enhance recovery and stop the spread of illnesses.
Raising awareness of the effects of paid family leave policies on population health and participating in policy discussions with local, state, and federal stakeholders can be part of an advanced practice nurse’s advocacy for paid family leave policies. Nurses can also inform patients and their families about their legal options and other resources for obtaining paid leave benefits. Overall, supporting paid leave legislation can lead to better health outcomes and increased well-being for people in both communities and as individuals, both of which are crucial elements of population health. Paid leave policies and population health are justified by claims that doing so will save healthcare costs by encouraging preventative care, decreasing the chance of expensive ER visits, and reducing the need for long-term care. By giving both men and women the same possibilities to take care of their families without sacrificing their jobs, paid family leave has also aided in advancing gender equity. Paid leave influences a fall in high school dropout rates in the future as well as a rise in children’s future salaries.
Understanding how paid policy leave legislation affects employers is crucial. Little is known about how employees use their paid time off or whether businesses modify their benefit plans, hiring procedures, or other areas of employment in response to the mandates of paid leave policies (Bartel et al., 2023). With paid parental leave, women’s leave use and labour market results have received increased attention. Paid vacation, as opposed to unpaid leave, encourages more leave use, particularly among low-income moms. After their children turn one, moms’ employment and job stability may rise thanks to paid family leave. Although there are few paid family leave policies, research suggests that they have a negative impact on employee retention or salary expenses, with a primary emphasis on the well-being of the children. Increased birth weight and significant drops in infant death rates were associated with paid family leave.
Despite these potential advantages, implementing paid family leave regimes has disadvantages. Increased corporate costs, the possibility of abuse, administrative load, and decreased flexibility are all arguments against paid family policies and population health. First, paid family leave might raise business expenses, resulting in fewer job openings or lower worker pay. Second, paid family leave policies may be abused by certain workers who use them to take time off when they do not need to. Third, it can be difficult for businesses and governments to establish and manage paid family leave laws, which could result in an administrative burden and higher expenses. Lastly, family-paid.
However well paid family leave plans may be, there are also disadvantages. Arguments against paid family plans and population health include rising corporate costs, the possibility of abuse, administrative burden, and less flexibility. Paid family plans, in the first place, might raise corporate expenses, resulting in fewer job openings or lower pay for workers. Second, laws allowing for paid family leave may be abused by certain workers who exploit the time off to avoid having a real family emergency. Third, businesses and governments may find it challenging to implement and oversee paid family leave laws, which could result in an administrative burden and higher expenses (McCartney et al., 2019). Last but not least, paid family leave regulations may limit the flexibility of employers and workers, which can result in lowered output and morale. Maternity leave that is compensated leave policies can reduce flexibility for businesses and employees, which could lead to reduced productivity and morale.
Paid maternity leave has a beneficial medium- and long-term health effects for mothers, including improvements in body mass index, blood pressure, pain and mental health. It also increased healthy behaviours such as exercise and not smoking.
Even while paid family leave programs may have some disadvantages, data indicates their potential to significantly improve population health. In the end, the choice to establish paid family leave policies should consider both the advantages and disadvantages and work to balance the demands of both the business and the workforce. There isn’t much information available about specific aspects of paid leave policies, the degree of pay replacement, the length of leave, or if the employee is protected from losing their job while on leave. Paid leave may encourage high-earning women to stay on their current jobs and participate in future programs.
References
Rossin-Slater, M., & Uniat, L. (2019). Paid family leave policies and population health. Health affairs health policy brief, 1-6.
Bartel, A., Rossin-Slater, M., Ruhm, C., Slopen, M., & Waldfogel, J. (2023). The impact of paid family leave on employers: Evidence from New York. Community, Work & Family, 1-19.
McCartney, G., Hearty, W., Arnot, J., Popham, F., Cumbers, A., & McMaster, R. (2019). Impact of political economy on population health: a systematic review of reviews. American journal of public health, 109(6), e1-e12.
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