Milito spoke on small business struggles with one-size-fits-all mandates
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 26, 2023) – Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center Beth Milito testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee at a hearing titled, “Exploring Paid Leave: Policy, Practice, and Impact on the Workforce.” Milito explained how one-size-fits-all mandates are inflexible and costly to America’s small businesses.
Milito’s testimony focused on three main concerns of small business owners: 1) leave mandates impede flexibility, which is the key to making small businesses the “employers of choice” in our communities, 2) leave mandates impose inordinate complexity and costs on small businesses, and 3) leave mandates lead to death by a thousand mandates.
Excerpts of her testimony include:
“Small business owners understand the changing dynamics in the workplace – they are grandparents, parents, and caregivers, too – and they want to do all they can do to attract and retain the best employees. But when it comes to benefits, flexibility is key for small businesses. Mandated leave laws represent a significant challenge for small business owners since flexibility is critical for a small business, and mandated leave laws are generally anything but flexible, simple to comply with, and affordable.”
“Small business owners can and do offer support to employees in their lives away from work, whether it’s for their own care or to care for a parent, child, or other family member, but they must have flexibility in creating a policy that works for both the employees and the business.”
