The Hipocrisy of Family Values

There is a great contradiction in defending family values while opposing policy that helps families stay together in moments of need, and it makes the U.S. the only industrialized country to deny paid leave to new parents.

This disconnect between words and actions was once again demonstrated when Paul Ryan demanded that his family time be respected in order to accept the Speaker of the House of Representatives seat.The congressman categorically opposes paid leave benefits for workers.

His fellow congress members enjoy this benefit, as do the employees of a number of companies. Still, the politician has refused to make the benefit mandatory for all workers. He even voted against a bill that would have given federal employees 4 weeks of paid leave in 2009.

The current law protects employees who need to take time off either because of family illness or birth for up to 12 weeks without pay. Republicans have opposed President Obama’s proposal to pay workers for this time citing that it would represent a significant financial burden to employers.

Especially for low-income workers, this means that taking care of a sick parent equals losing money, or that a new mother must return to work two weeks after giving birth in order to be able to pay the bills.

The GOP discourse about family values disappears when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce makes it a priority to oppose this law because it costs too much. It is well-known that, for instance, when California passed a similar bill in 2002, 87% of employers did not report an increase in expenses associated to the law. Actually, 10% of them said that it helped them reduce costs because it stabilized their personnel, according to a Center for Policy Research report.

It should not be a privilege for a worker to be able to take care of her or his family and also pay the bills. While the private sector needs to help sustain family values, Republican hipocrisy  —  embodied by Ryan — is the biggest obstacle for this to happen