Workforce development has been a major focus in the Legislature, especially since the pandemic and the Great Resignation, impacting not only Oklahoma but the entire nation. I held an interim study last fall to see why women, in particular, have been leaving the workforce at such a high rate, and learned that lack of maternity leave and access to affordable childcare were two of the most common reasons.
So, this session, I filed Senate Bill 193 to provide six weeks of paid maternity leave for full-time state employees, following the birth or adoption of a child. Although highly debated, the bill passed the Senate and is awaiting further consideration in the House. To qualify for the leave, mothers would have to be employed by the state for at least two years prior to requesting off.
Leave could be used for the birth or adoption of a child. Employees would not be required to use their accrued leave for the initial six-week period but could request to use such leave for any additional time off they might need up to 12 weeks as is required by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Oklahoma currently has nearly 31,500 state employees, working at more than 60 state agencies. Over 59% of this workforce is female, and over 40% of the state’s workforce are of the age to have children. Employee turnover costs Oklahoma an estimated $110 million a year, and a majority of those leaving are women.
Some argued that this bill is unfair for private and public businesses, and I agree to a point. The federal government should create a program to help employers in the public and private sector provide such benefits if they’re currently not able to afford it or don’t have the manpower. But as with a lot of new policies at the Capitol, we have to start small and test the waters, so to speak. The Legislature has two groups of employees that they can test this policy on, and that’s our state employees and teachers. There are several bills, including SB 364, currently to provide paid maternity leave to educators, and I’m anxious to vote on those as well.
This is a major workforce development issue and one that will save the state millions in the long run. Six weeks of paid maternity leave is much cheaper than losing a good employee, along with their knowledge and expertise, only to have to train someone else. There is endless data that paid maternity leave lowers employee turnover rates, and given how much Oklahoma is losing every year, this is a commonsense cost-savings policy and a wonderful investment in our hardworking public servants. We don’t want to force Oklahoma mothers to choose between their career and having a family, or taking enough time in those vital first weeks to care for their newborn.
In other news, I was so thrilled to recently introduce and recognize Miss Teen Oklahoma Latina 2023, Cecilia Tarin. Her platform focuses on ending hunger by empowering and educating youth to establish ways they can help their family and end the cycle of poverty. She is a beautiful person inside and out, and it was a pleasure getting to know her.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on this important issue. Please write to Senator Jessica Garvin, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 237, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105, email me at [email protected] or call 405-521-5522.
