Parental leave bill advances

Mandate would give workers time off for children's events

April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 10, 2006 at midnight

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A Senate committee cleared a bill Thursday that would force employers to give parents time off from work to attend school functions, saying it's high time Colorado put student achievement above corporate America's bottom line.

"You only have to look at how the face of a second-grader lights up when a parent walks into the classroom to know how important it is for them to be there," said Vicki Newell, president of the Colorado PTA.

In a 4-3 party-line vote, the Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 66 after killing an amendment that would have required workers to give employers at least a one-week notice before taking time off.

The bill would allow employees of any company with at least 10 workers to take at least five hours per month of unpaid leave to attend school events. It limits time off to 30 hours a year.

Employers and parents faced off over the bill for more than an hour, with more than a dozen testifying for and against the bill.

A majority of employers and business groups argued that the government mandate would create hardships for small-business owners and retail outlets already struggling to keep workers on the job.

"We have spoken loud and clear against such employer mandates," said Tony Gagliardi, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses. "There is a substantial loss to employers that this bill does not address."

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver, pushed a similar bill last year that passed the Senate, but Democrats helped kill it in the House.

Groff argued Thursday that many parents often have to choose between their jobs and their children's well-being.

He said studies show that students benefit from parental involvement and have fewer behavioral problems, earn higher grades and are more likely to complete high school.

"Businesses are concerned about the bottom line, but we need to be concerned about student achievement," Groff said.

If the bill becomes law, Colorado would join at least nine other states that have parental leave laws.

A survey conducted by the 9 to 5 National Association for Working Women found that in Colorado, 93 percent of parents value being involved in their children's education.

Only 46 percent say they are given enough time to participate in school events, and 57 percent say their work schedules prevent them from attending school activities.

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