Researchers Say Indiana Wants Paid Family And Medical Leave

Researchers say Hoosiers are ready for a government program that ensures all workers have access to paid family and medical leave.

The Indiana Commission for Women presented the research Wednesday.

The research says nearly 500,000 Hoosiers already take leave each year, paid or unpaid. And it says that would only increase about 10 percent if the state created a program to guarantee paid leave. Research head Jeff Hayes says paid leave has broad benefits.

“There are decreases in infant and child mortality, decreases in low birth weight births,” Hayes says.

Pollster Celinda Lake says Hoosiers support a funding structure that spreads out the cost.

“People really do like employee and employer having skin in the game. They really like that," Lake says. "They also think it makes the program much more doable.”

The research says a payroll tax of less than 1 percent could fully pay for the program.