medical leave promotes families’ financial security and independence, increases worker retention, and promotes savings for taxpayers. Women who take paid leave after a child’s birth are more likely to be in the labor force in the 9 to 12 months after a child’s birth and to earn higher wages in the year following their child’s birth. Both men and women who take paid leave after a child’s birth are less likely to receive SNAP benefits and other public assistance in the year following a child’s birth. (17) Without paid medical leave, workers who are ill or injured may return to work before being fully recovered, thus making them susceptible to a relapse or recurrence, and potentially placing additional burdens on the health care system. When a job requires physical stamina or ability, individuals who return to work too early may put themselves or others in jeopardy. (18) A social insurance model of providing paid family leave pioneered and implemented by the States of California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York, and recently passed in the District of Columbia, Washington, and Massachusetts, has worked well for workers, their families, and employers. The overwhelming majority of California employers report that the State's program had a positive or neutral effect on their business, and businesses surveyed in New Jersey and Rhode Island reported having little trouble adjusting to the State’s law. (19) When workers can care for themselves and their loved ones, employers experience positive impacts. In California, where a family leave insurance program has existed for more than a decade, workers in low-wage, high-turnover industries are much more likely to return to their jobs after using the program, and 9 out of 10 businesses report positive or neutral effects on profitability and productivity. (20) High-profile employers are increasingly recognizing the value of providing paid leave in reduced turnover and improved employee morale and productivity, yet access to paid leave remains low across most industries,