It’s no secret that our economy, and our most vulnerable workers, have taken a big hit since COVID-19 turned our world upside down. But despite the challenges of the past two years, there are some silver linings ahead. The most recent jobs report was surprisingly positive, revealing that our economy was able to weather the Omicron wave with 467,000 jobs added in January alone.

While there are many factors at play here, one thing the pandemic proved to all of us is that America’s workers power our economy, and our future prosperity relies on a healthy workforce. This is especially true as workers increasingly have to juggle balancing schedules that may include children unexpectedly needing care when exposed to COVID at school, or not wanting to risk endangering their coworkers or customers if they themselves get sick. We are proud to say that lawmakers in our states are addressing these challenges by supporting policies that protect working families and support the workforce. One of the most critical ways to do this is by ensuring employees have access to paid-leave.

The United States is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to offering paid-leave for workers. The Biden Administration has broad ambitions to bring the country’s paid-leave policies into the 21st century, but with Congress gridlocked, state lawmakers have been stepping up to the plate by prioritizing policies that keep workers healthy and safe and ensure businesses can stay open.

Not only do these policies lead to a healthier and more resilient economy, but they also make workplaces and our pandemic recovery more equitable. We know that the pandemic has taken an uneven toll on workers, particularly for women who shouldered increased caregiving responsibilities and faced disproportionate job losses. Low-income earners were particularly vulnerable as well. Recent data from the Economic Policy Institute show that those with incomes under $25,000 were 3.5 times as likely to report missing an entire week of work because of COVID-19 compared with those earning $100,000 or more. Too often, workers are forced to make an impossible choice between caring for themselves and their families and earning a paycheck that they need to stay afloat.

Colorado is one example of a state that’s leading the way to make sure that workers can take paid-time-off when the need arises. Colorado’s new paid-sick-leave policy passed by legislators in 2020, took full effect on January 1, which guarantees that all workers can earn paid sick days to care for themselves and their families without missing a paycheck. Colorado voters also understand the importance of being able to care for their health. In 2020, Coloradans overwhelmingly passed a measure that guarantees paid family and medical leave for all workers.

Maryland lawmakers are also eyeing policies that keep workers healthy. A paid family and medical leave proposal is being considered in the state this year that would bring employees and employers together to create an insurance pool so that workers could access up to 12 weeks of paid leave. The people of Maryland strongly and consistently support these efforts, with one recent survey finding 88% favor paid leave and another by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) showing, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, that Marylanders believe paid leave would “benefit the economy.”

Though things are looking up, it’s important to remember that we’re still not out of the woods when it comes to pandemic recovery. But states across the country, like Colorado and Maryland, are taking bold and innovative action to support families and workers and help us build back better than before. Let’s keep fighting for common sense policies that protect working families and make our economy more resilient.

Yadira Caraveo, M.D., D-Thornton, represents House District 31 in the Colorado General Assembly. Caraveo was the prime sponsor of the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, Colorado’s paid sick leave act, in 2020. She also is a pediatrician and is the only physician in the state legislature. Delegate Kris Valderrama is the lead sponsor of the Time to Care Act of 2022 in the Maryland House of Delegates.