Paid leave isn’t just a policy buzzword—it’s a real, deeply personal issue that shows up during some of life’s most important and most difficult moments. Paid family leave is a commonsense policy to support workers who need to step away from work and for the employers who provide this benefit. The Time to Care Ohio Coalition (TTCO) invites people to share stories about this necessary topic to support a paid leave policy, Senate Bill 396.
Ohio state Sens. Beth Liston, D-Dublin, and Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Township, introduced Ohio Senate Bill 396, which would:
- Allow up to 14 weeks off for a qualifying event, up to 18 weeks a year
- Pay workers 85% of their pay with a maximum benefit up to $1,231 per week
- Protect the employee’s job while they are on leave
- Ohio JFS would administer the program, which would begin in 2028
Why tell your story?
Contributing to TTCO’s story collection offers a chance to share what it was actually like when they needed time off to care for a new baby, recover from an illness, or support a loved one—and whether paid leave made that possible or painfully out of reach.
By telling your story, you help put a human face on the policy conversation and show why paid leave matters to families and communities, not just on paper but in everyday life.
How to add your story to the collection
If you’ve ever had to juggle work and caregiving, make an impossible choice, or felt the relief of having paid time off when you needed it most, your experience matters—add your voice and help spark change by participating here. Your story may be featured in TTCO’s newsletter, The Care Chronicle.
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