Kankakee Times

A local business owner is opposing a bill that would create a state-administered paid family and medical leave program that would provide 26 weeks of paid time off to employees. 

The legislation is Senate Bill 1234 and House Bill 1530, which creates the "Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Act."

“As a business owner and employer I look at this current bill in Illinois as unfair to a business owner!” contractor Artie Schadel, owner of Scorpion Renovations LLC said on Facebook. “Should employees receive two maybe 30 days leave yes should I as a employer be made to pay 26 weeks of employee paid vacation time that is almost 6-1/2 months out of the year, I’d have to pay my employee, say a typical employee makes $ 15 hr, that’s $120 day - plus the 4.95% I would as an employer have to pay for that employee working for me state and fed tax. imagine having 6 employees this bill if approved would definitely make me transfer my business elsewhere imagine a small business owner such as myself paying $15, 600 for each employee for free for 26 weeks x 6 employees = $96, 600 loss of income which I am just giving away.” 

The employers would not, however, be paying these salaries during family leave.

According to WGLT, "The benefits to workers would be paid out of a newly created special state fund. The law would require employers to pay 0.73 percent of the wages for their employees and contractors into the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund, similar to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund."

Tasha Brown, the Midwest director with the Small Business Majority, said the bill would provide for assistance to small businesses. “That’s why it’s so important that state lawmakers enact policies and programs to support and empower these entrepreneurs, helping them provide paid leave as a benefit to their employees,” Brown said, WCIA reported.

WGLT-TV said a “coalition of labor groups” is behind the bill. “A coalition of advocacy and labor groups is pushing for a state law to give Illinois workers 26 weeks of paid leave if they need to recover from an illness, domestic or sexual violence, or take care of a sick family member or new child,” WGLT said on Facebook. “The United States is the only industrialized nation without a national paid parental leave law, while dozens of developing countries also have such policies.”

SB 1234 is sponsored by State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago).