Hawaii’s workers are the backbone of our economy. As the executive director of the Hawaii Workers Center, I know many people who work two or more jobs to survive. Many workers live in multifamily homes to stretch their resources to cover expenses. An estimated 48% of Hawaii households earn barely enough to pay for basic needs. Nearly 40% of jobs in Hawaii pay less than a living wage, and 14% of Hawaii’s workers are in minimum-wage jobs.

Our working families are doing their best to balance caring for children and elders while keeping up with daily expenses. But it is not enough.

One solution to this common struggle is the implementation of paid family and medical leave. This policy gives employees the ability to focus on their own health, or the health of their loved ones while maintaining economic stability.

When our son was born, I worked for an employer who had a generous parental leave benefit. We could take 12 weeks of paid leave; however, I felt guilty for taking the full allowance so I took nine weeks. Those nine weeks were some of the most memorable moments of my life. I was there when my son was born, I helped my wife while she recovered after giving birth, and I could spend time with my older daughter while everyone focused on our new baby.

In Hawaii, we value family, and paid family leave should be a benefit available to everyone, not a privilege only for a few. Looking back, my only regret is that I didn’t take the full 12 weeks.

In Hawaii, a typical worker who takes four weeks of unpaid leave loses nearly $3,700 in income. As the cost of living rises, income loss hits families especially hard. The ability to provide needed care to loved ones is not available for approximately 75% of workers in Hawaii — about 508,000 workers — due to a lack of guaranteed paid leave.

Moreover, only 1 in 5 low-income workers currently have access to paid medical leave. When low-income workers are forced to choose between prioritizing their health or providing for their family, many will not take an unpaid day off. Many of these workers are also a part of the service industry working paycheck to paycheck. Paid medical leave provides a necessary health, financial, and safety net for those that need it most.

The overall benefits for a state-funded paid family and medical leave benefit far surpass the consequences that come with the absence of such a policy. A policy like this gives aging people, people with disabilities, and people with chronic or terminal illness the ability to live independently longer, remaining integrated in their community and maintaining a higher quality of life. This policy is also more cost effective for government and health systems because fewer people will require nursing home care or public assistance if family caregivers are able to keep their jobs.

During common and critical life moments, parents and caregivers need to know that their jobs are not at risk. Whether it is caring for a newborn child or helping our kupuna age with dignity, or themselves when sick, workers are forced to choose between staying employed and caring for ohana. Why can’t we do both?

Support the passage of legislative Senate Bill 2474 related to paid family leave in Hawaii. Let’s stand up for all workers and ensure everyone can live and work here without any threats to their livelihood.

Sergio Alcubilla is executive director of the Hawaii Workers Center.