A lack of paid family leave is having an impact on the plight of home care workers, according to a recent article in The Washington Post.
Maya Warren, a home health aide with Washington-based medical staffing company Maxim Healthcare Services, will return to work less than two weeks after giving birth, according to the Post. The circumstance of no paid family leave after giving birth is one that an estimated 25% of workers face, the Post reported.
The story comes on the heels of one company’s announcement to provide 12 weeks of paid family leave. New York-based home care provider Hometeam began offering the benefit at the beginning of April.
Home care workers, with an average annual wage of less than $24,000 in 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are among workers who are the least likely to have any paid leave, according to the Post.
Maxim does not provide paid family leave to its workers, the Post reported. Maxim did not respond to media inquires from HHCN.
With caregiver turnover being a top challenge for home health providers across the industry, offering paid family leave could be a significant benefit to combat the issue.
Home care workers have gained some protections from the Department of Labor (DOL) over the last few years, including overtime and minimum wage eligibility. However, wage coverage for families after having a child has yet to come to pass at a national level.
Written by Amy Baxter
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