March 14th, 2023

Category:

Illinois Must Finish the Job: Caring Across Generations Celebrates Illinois Mandating Paid Sick Days for All Workers

In response to Governor Pritzker signing the Paid Leave for All Workers Act on March 13, Ai-jen Poo, executive director at Caring Across Generations, released the following statement:

“The paid sick days legislation Governor Pritzker signed into law today is an important step forward for Illinoisian families and workers. We applaud the advocates and allied legislators who worked to make it so that people will not have to choose between their health and their jobs.

“Today’s legislation is a helpful reprieve if you are sick for a few days, but when long-term care needs inevitably emerge for Illinois families, or when someone is disabled or chronically ill and needs to care for themselves, they have no options. Illinoisans deserve a paid family and medical leave policy that will allow them to take all the time they need, whether it’s to recover from a serious illness, spend time with a newborn child or care for an aging or disabled family member.

“Every person in Illinois — across every socioeconomic background, every race and every stage of life — will need to give or receive care at some point in their life. The Illinois legislature and the Pritzker administration need to finish the job and pass paid family and medical leave legislation across the state. We are calling for swift passage of the Family & Medical Leave Insurance Act which is gaining momentum across the state.”

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Caring Across Generations is a national organization of family caregivers, care workers, disabled people, and aging adults working to transform the way we care in this country so that care is accessible, affordable and equitable — and our systems of care enable everyone to live and age with dignity. To achieve our vision, we transform cultural norms and narratives about aging, disability and care; win federal and state-level policies; and build power amongst the people touched by care. For more information, visit caringacross.org.