At some point, nearly everyone needs time away from work to recover from a serious illness, or to care for a sick loved one or new child. Yet the majority of working people in the United States cannot take the time they need without risking their jobs or economic security.

The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was an important first step and has been used more than 200 million times, ensuring job protection for those taking up to 12 weeks of UNPAID leave to care for a new child, family member, or personal health condition. But it covers less than 60 percent of workers -- and millions of people simply can’t afford to take unpaid leave.

That’s why, together, we must urge Congress to create a comprehensive, national PAID leave program with the Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act.

The FAMILY Act would create an affordable and self-sustaining national family and medical leave insurance fund to provide workers with a portion of their wages for a limited period of time (up to 60 work days or 12 weeks in a year) to address their own serious health condition, including pregnancy or childbirth; to deal with the serious health condition of a parent, spouse, domestic partner or child; to care for a new child, newly-adopted child or newly-placed foster child; and/or for specific family circumstances arising from a military service member’s deployment.

Take action: Sign the petition to demand Congress ensure our right to family and medical leave without fear of jeopardizing our employment or economic security.