Recently I was given the opportunity to take part in an interview with FOX Business News about employees taking time away from work to attend school activities or conferences and the affect this would have on employers.

In this day and time, owning a business is a challenge. The business owner has a budget to balance, payroll to meet and sales to develop. The employee has a job to perform, goals to meet and somewhere in the middle be a parent who wants to take part in school activities like parent-teacher conferences and field trips.

In my world I am blessed to work for an employer, M.B. Kahn Construction, who supports my activities as a parent volunteer. But that support is not always available. Currently, 16 states in the United States have legislation in place that allows employees to take time off from work to attend parent-teacher conferences or participate in a school related event. Some call for paid leave, some do not, but in the end it’s a good start and a positive direction for families and schools. It fosters parent involvement at its best, but we still need to think about the employer.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all PTA’s to get engaged in the conversation. Ask businesses to consider such a policy while also working to seek legislation that would encourage, and reward, employers for taking such an action. Working together employers, employees and students will succeed. Just a thought.

Until next time . . .

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