Bob Grupe, who e-mailed lawmakers to urge them to support the flexible-leave bill, said he and his wife have to juggle jobs, their health problems and the needs of elderly parents. Grupe, a 53-year- old Rockville resident who is currently seeking employment, said he wants the security of knowing that he would be able to take sick leave for his wife or in-laws.
"There are a whole range of issues we are dealing with, and if employers were more flexible, that would be a big help," said Grupe, who recently had pacemaker surgery and whose wife has suffered from breast cancer.
Under the bill, a private-sector employer who provides paid leave must permit workers to use that time to care for an immediate family member who is sick. Several states have similar laws, including California, Maine, Minnesota and Washington.
Proponents said the bill would help working mothers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 75 percent of mothers with school-age children have jobs. Jill Wrigley of the Women's Law Center said that professional workers are often allowed flexibility but that is often not the case in lower-wage fields where turnover is high and there is less investment in each worker.
"This would be a major relief for a lot of ordinary people," she said. "If you've got a reasonable employer, you can get this anyway, so it's more for vulnerable workers who don't get this kind of protection."
Opponents argued that the legislation could have the unintended consequence of encouraging employers to eliminate paid sick leave. Del. Ron George, an Anne Arundel County Republican and a small-business owner, also warned that the bill's prohibition against disciplining employees for taking flexible leave could wind up shielding workers who take advantage of the measure.
"If we pass this bill, we might as well take the chalk out of our desk and put one more hash mark on the number of bills that prove Maryland is becoming increasingly anti-business," George said.
Under the unemployment bill, part-time workers who lose their jobs but are actively seeking part-time work would be eligible for benefits. More than 333,000 employees work part time in Maryland, or about 13 percent of the labor force, according to a legislative analysis.
Under current law, applicants must be actively seeking full-time work. Thirty other states allow unemployment benefits for part-time workers.
