Word count: 808
OOC: This proposal is heavily influenced by GA#491 "Rights of the employed," which I co-authored with The Greater Soviet North America (TGSNA) - hence why I have cited him as a co-author here. TGSNA looked at this proposal before I submitted it here, was supportive of this and did not accuse me of plagiarising GA#491. TGSNA will shortly post here offering his thoughts and publicly clarifying that I have his permission to do this.
Paid Leave Expansion Act
A resolution to reduce income inequality and increase basic welfare.Category: Social JusticeStrength: SignificantProposed by: Tinhampton
Recognising that many employees may have to seek time away from their job for various reasons,
Believing that the right of such employees to claim just as much paid leave as they need should be protected by international law, and
Noting that many of the below accommodations were protected by GA#491 "Rights of the employed" before it was repealed due to various shortcomings...
The General Assembly enacts as follows.Co-authored with The Greater Soviet North America.
- Definitions: In this resolution:
- "employees" includes only:
- all individuals who currently have a contract of any length with an employer which entails carrying out particular tasks for that employer with the expectation of a regular tangible reward (including those who are currently shadowing employees or working as interns for that employer), and
- all individuals who currently work for their own business, are responsible for it, and can determine the kind, duration, length and location of the tasks they carry out for it,
- "paid leave" means time off work during which an employee must receive their full expected wage or 300% of the mean wage, whichever is less,
- "relevant leave" means that paid leave described in Articles d-f, and
- "time to breastfeed" means those accommodations defined in Article h.
- Applicability: This resolution applies to all employees in all member states, except Articles c (which also covers some non-employees seeking to become an employee) and h (which only covers employees of lactating species such as humans and cows).
- Non-discrimination: No employer in a member state may refuse to employ any person because they would be entitled to seek time to breastfeed upon being employed. Employees shall enjoy protection from dismissal, suspension, discrimination, and being paid inferior wages (subject to Article a(ii)) as a result of seeking or claiming any relevant leave or time to breastfeed, or being pregnant or otherwise entitled to seek Article d(i) paid leave.
- Parental leave: Employees have the right to claim:
- at least fourteen calendar weeks of paid leave after they or someone they live with give birth or adopt a child who must be looked after (and are encouraged to inform their employer that they will claim it), and
- a reasonable period of paid leave before and up to the moment of such childbirth or adoption (but must inform their employer that they will do so in advance).
- Sick and bereavement leave: Provided that they inform their employer in advance (or otherwise as soon as possible) that they will do so, employees have the right to automatically claim:
- paid leave for the duration of their being sufficiently ill that they cannot work or looking after a similarly ill person who lives with them, ideally for only as long as they or their cohabitor require to recover from such illness,
- paid leave for the duration of their being quarantined after contracting a serious disease, where such quarantining is legally required and makes them completely unable to fulfil their duties as an employee (such as installing scaffolding or paving roads), and
- at least two calendar weeks of paid leave after they have suffered a personal tragedy (including miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a close family member).
- Paid holiday: Employees have the right to claim two calendar weeks of paid leave per year at any time for any reason not stated above, which may be non-continuous. Employees must seek consent from their employer before claiming such paid leave, who may deny such consent where it would significantly interrupt that employer's planned operations.
- Funding paid leave: Employers who can afford to fund relevant leave for their employees must do so. All employees in member states seeking relevant leave, but whose employers cannot afford to fund it, may request that the government of the member they work in fund it; that government must accept all such requests that are non-frivolous. However, where that government operates a social insurance scheme, it must allow all employees who pay into (or whose employers pay into) that scheme to claim the funds they need for their relevant leave from it, however able their employer is to fund it.
- Time to breastfeed: Employees who cannot avoid breastfeeding their children at work (or expressing milk to that end) shall be entitled to have a reasonable period of their working day reserved for such activity; time so reserved must be guaranteed for a year after the claimant's Article d(i) paid parental leave ends. Employers are encouraged to provide a private, safe, hygienic and ventilated room where such employees can breastfeed or express milk.
- Times: Each employer must publish the amount of Article d, and of Article e(iii), paid leave its employees may claim per year.