Washington, D.C. (June 30, 2021) – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today joined Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-2) in introducing the Workflex in the 21st Century Act. This legislation would encourage and allow employers to implement voluntarily paid leave programs and flexible work arrangements to improve the lives of families in Eastern Washington.

“The 21st Century workforce values flexibility. Whether it’s the single mom trying to make her son’s baseball game, or the dad trying to leave work on time to drive across town to his daughter’s dance recital, workplace flexibility measures help families juggle their busy lives,” said Rodgers. “The future of work is changing, and this legislation recognizes that our workplace rules are outdated and limit the flexible options people seek today.” 

The Workflex in the 21st Century Act provides effective options for employers to meet workers’ needs without burdensome, top-down government mandates that hurt small businesses and fail to meet the real needs of working moms and dads.

“In this day and age, hard-working Americans across the country should have access to work scheduling options to better help them meet their family and work needs. Employers and employees need flexibility, not mandates and regulations,” said Miller-Meeks. “My Workflex in the 21st Century Act would ensure that American workers have access to flexible paid leave policies, while providing certainty to businesses. This bill would provide more paid leave for employees than all state paid leave laws, and I am proud to introduce it today.”

Specifically, this legislation creates a new type of benefit under the Employee Income Security Act that provides a voluntary safe harbor from the growing patchwork of state and local laws. It does this by providing a plan that offers a minimum number of hours of paid leave that are relative to a company’s size and the employee’s length of service.

The bill also incentivizes flexible work arrangements, including compressed work schedules, biweekly work programs, telework, job-sharing, flexible scheduling, or predictable scheduling. 

CLICK HERE to read the bill.