Staff reports 9:34 a.m.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 9:35 am

CONCORD - Today, the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire (BIA-NH), the Granite State's statewide chamber of commerce, endorsed Governor Chris Sununu's Twin State Voluntary Leave Plan. Following enthusiastic interest from insurance carriers, the announcement is further evidence that the Twin State Voluntary Leave Plan is the best approach to bringing paid family and medical leave to New Hampshire, a press release from the governor's office stated.
"The BIA understands that paid family medical leave offers an incredible opportunity to promote a work-life balance for New Hampshire families," said Gov. Sununu. "They also understand that this can be accomplished without an income tax or job killing regulations."
The president of the Business and Industry Association agreed.

"BIA's Executive Board recently affirmed its support for a voluntary - not mandatory - paid family leave program," said BIA-NH President Jim Roche. "We believe employers know best how to compensate their employees and structure benefits that suit the needs of their workforce. It should not be the function of state government to mandate a one-size-fits-all program for private sector employers."

Roche added that the strength of the governor's proposal is that it is a practical, but cautious approach to implementing paid family leave in New Hampshire.

"From BIA's perspective, the fact that it allows private sector employers the opportunity to 'buy into' the program if they so choose adds appeal to his approach," Roche added.