Canceled: A Paid Leave Conversation with Top Philanthropic, Business, and Advocacy Leaders

The Bipartisan Policy Center’s event, A Paid Leave Conversation with Top Philanthropic, Business, and Advocacy Leaders has been canceled. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

Paid leave policy is drawing increased attention from the business community and policymakers as labor market and workforce challenges persist even as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The proverbial ‘work-life balance’ has become elusive for too many in today’s economy, which is imposing incompatible demands on families and frustrating businesses trying to grow their workforces in a very competitive labor market.

Recent Bipartisan Policy Center research suggests that millions of Americans are not working due to caregiving responsibilities, and that millions would be more likely to work or to work more if they had access to a paid family leave benefit. More employers and states are adopting paid leave policies of their own, creating a patchwork that can be confusing and still leaves too many working people and families without coverage. In fact, the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that as many as 79 percent of Americans do not have a defined paid family leave benefit and only 40 percent of workers have an employer-provided personal medical leave policy.

This event brings together a panel of prominent leaders from business, advocacy, and philanthropy to discuss the need for paid family and medical leave, key elements of a potential federal program, and importantly, how to design a policy that works for employers and employees alike.

---

Featured Participants

Panel discussion with:

Suzanne Clark
President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Kelly Darnell
Chief Operating Officer, BPC

Debra Ness
President, National Partnership for Women & Families

Moderated by:

Melinda French Gates
Founder, Pivotal Ventures and Co-Chair, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Read their full bios.

In light of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, BPC events have shifted to all remote formats, such as video teleconferences or calls.