In Washington, Democrats have a top priority: helping people afford the things they need to live well \u2013 a home, food, health care, child care.<\/p>\n
I agree that should be our top priority.<\/p>\n
But a few months after the birth of my first child, I am thinking more about how we make sure Americans can afford not just the things they need to live a good life but the time needed to enjoy it.<\/p>\n
When you are a congressman, taking full \u201cparental leave\u201d is not really an option. Republicans in Congress have blocked a proxy voting rule that would allow parents of new children to vote remotely, so in the first weeks with a new baby I still traveled to D.C. often for critical votes. And I was always on call to respond to the Trump administration\u2019s constant attacks on our community.<\/p>\n
But I was able to take a lot more time at home than many Americans. In the first three months after the baby came, I stayed in Austin when I could, not traveling to D.C. for votes that were destined to pass or fail.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While I have fought for the right to paid time off my entire career, nothing could have prepared me for how transformative those weeks were for me personally. Representing the city I love in Congress is the honor of a lifetime. But those weeks home with my spouse and child were the most meaningful time in my life. Time off gave me a deeper connection to my family, and I feel more committed than ever to a future for our country that is free and safe for our kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I count myself extremely lucky to have been there for my chubby baby\u2019s first bath, first visit to Pease Park, and first smile. But this shouldn\u2019t be a matter of luck. We need to change the laws so that every single American has the chance to be home with a new baby. America is the only<\/a> rich country in the world that does not guarantee paid leave for new parents. I think that\u2019s a scandal. It\u2019s bad for our families, and it puts the health of many new moms at risk by forcing them back to work immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just new parents who deserve leave. Every American should get time off when they get sick or need to care for a loved one. Every American should get a couple weeks of vacation a year. Full-time jobs should pay enough that people do not have to pick up extra shifts or gig work just to get by. And normal jobs should pay enough that one parent can stay home if that\u2019s what\u2019s best for your family.<\/p>\n This agenda isn\u2019t about slacking off \u2013 it\u2019s about rewarding hard work. Americans already work hard and will continue to. The question we face is whether that labor pays off for workers \u2013 with the time off to enjoy it \u2013 or if it just makes the very rich even richer. Your hard work should earn you time at home with your family or out with friends at a show. Instead, too many people are picking up an extra shift so that Jeff Bezos can finance another weekend for himself in outer space.<\/p>\n Too many people are picking up an extra shift so that Jeff Bezos can finance another weekend for himself in outer space.<\/p>\n In many cases, Big Tech CEOs may be making Americans\u2019 time-off problems worse. More and more Americans are turning to gig work, adding work time for those picking up extra shifts and reducing protections compared to having a full-time job. And especially for folks in the service industry, many companies now use scheduling software that makes it hard for people to plan their lives outside of work.<\/p>\n And I fear AI could make our time-off crisis even worse. A new study<\/a> in the Harvard Business Review found that despite promises that AI will improve productivity and make life easier, employees at companies adopting AI actually \u201cworked at a faster pace \u2026 and extended work into more hours of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n In the hands of a small number of billionaires, AI will not be a tool to free humans from work \u2013 but a tool to make the rich richer while everyone else works even harder or struggles to get by.<\/p>\n This would not be the first time that increased productivity failed to deliver for working people. The economist John Maynard Keynes predicted in 1930 that increasing productivity would lead to people working 15 hours a week<\/a>. Productivity did rise, but instead of cutting back on work, we have made the very rich richer while everyone keeps working long hours. We cannot repeat that mistake.<\/p>\n As I start my new life as a father, I will be working to make time off for all a reality \u2013 hopefully long before my son is old enough to need it.<\/p>\n Greg Casar represents Texas\u2019 35th District in Congress. He previously served as a member of the Austin City Council and a labor organizer.<\/p>\n Got something to say? The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com\/opinion<\/a>.<\/p>\n