This weekend on “In Focus,” we open a conversation on Paid Family Leave.

JoDee Kenney welcomed Albany Common Council Member Meghan Keegan to the studio to talk about the landmark legislation enacted in New York in 2018.

Keegan said part of her mission to make government work for all people was introducing a resolution in the Common Council opting Albany City’s municipal workers into the state’s Paid Family Leave program. This, Keegan said, ensures that employees will not endure significant financial hardship should they need to take maternal or paternal leave, or need time to care for a sick loved one. These wage protections, Council Member Keegan said, still fall far behind the benefits available to workers in a majority of industrialized democracies. Beyond the financial stress, Keegan said Paid Family Leave brings mental health benefits to caregivers who otherwise would need to balance employment with the needs of a family member.

You can watch the full interview with Meghan Keegan above.

And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues affecting upstate New York, on “In Focus” with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.