Christen Zulli has temporarily paused her health and wellness career due to family obligations. Her husband works significant time away at sea, which means Zulli is the primary caregiver for their two young children and now her father, who is showing early signs of dementia. Unable to afford assisted living for her father and feeing the strain of being the primary carer, Zulli is advocating for the state of Hawaiʻi to establish a family and medical leave insurance program, that would be funded by payroll contributions.

AARP Hawaiʻi reports that in the US, 38 million people provided 36 billion hours of care for adults with chronic, disabling or serious health conditions, estimated to be worth $600 billion. This has a great impact on those who fall into the “Sandwich Generation - caregivers like Zulli who are supporting two generations of family. AARP estimates that Hawai‘i has 154,000 unpaid family caregivers providing care equating to $2.6 billion.

Paid leave proposals have been resisted in the past, mainly due to the cost and barriers to implementation. However, House Bill 755, a paid leave bill, has been revisited this legislative session. The bill has been supported by the Keiki Caucus and the bipartisan Working Families Caucus, with each group saying it would allow Hawai’i employees to take paid time off to care for loved ones without risking pay or employment. Yet, resistance is still being found from businesses, public-sector unions and state agencies.

If implemented, the program would be funded through payroll deductions, split 50-50 between most employers and employees—akin to Social Security and Medicare. Opponents, however, argue the added payroll deduction could push employees to financial hardship, especially for a program that not all may utilize. The Hawaii Government Employees Association has proposed if the bill passes, public-sector employees should be exempt from the program.

Paid leave advocates are working with legislators and the labor department to address their concerns, arguing that the bill could retain experienced workers in the workforce while allowing them to continue their caregiving duties. Rep. Jackson Sayama, chair of the House Labor Committee and lead author of the bill, supports this motion. The bill needs to pass through two more committees before moving onto the Senate.

If you want to get a hold of Paid Family Leave to understand more about the services they provide and your eligibility based on current legislation, there are different ways to reach out. Check out the PFL website for comprehensive resources or call the PFL phone number available on their contact page. The higher the involvement in these kinds of initiatives, the more likely we can influence policies favorably for the caregivers.