Movie Monday: ZERO WEEKS

ZERO WEEKS
PRESENTED BY BAYLOR SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK & GSSW

Most Americans agree that family comes first. No matter where you work or what zip code you live in, you should be able to welcome a new child, to care for your mother when she has her knee replaced or to heal from cancer without facing financial disaster. And yet in 2016, only 14 percent of private-sector workers in the U.S. reported having paid family leave through an employer; less than 40 percent have personal medical leave through an employer-provided temporary disability program. The United States and Papua New Guinea are the only countries in the world without a paid leave law. Because 44 percent of American households don’t have enough savings to cover their basic expenses for three months, families are often forced to choose between taking time off to care for a partner or parent with an unexpected medical emergency or continuing to work so that they can keep their job and health insurance. The crisis is just as bleak for new mothers. Nearly 1 in 4 mothers return to work within two weeks of having a baby. Without the protections of paid leave, new mothers are 40% more likely to need food stamps or public assistance. Weaving powerful stories together with insightful interviews with leading policymakers, economists, researchers, and activists, ZERO WEEKS lays out a compelling argument for guaranteed paid leave for every American worker. The film looks at paid leave from an emotional, medical, financial and global perspective.