Whether it’s taking care of an elderly parent or welcoming a newborn, sometimes taking off of work is the right thing to do for the well-being of your family. It should be an easy decision. But when taking time off to care means losing a paycheck–or even your job–things become more complicated. Choosing between work and family isn’t a choice anyone ever wants to make.

Well, DC, your time to make a difference in the matter is finally here!

The DC City Council will soon be introducing legislation that would allow working people to receive a portion of their paycheck when they need to take time away from their job to recover from a serious personal illness or to be a caretaker to a new baby or loved one.

Paid leave isn’t just a great idea for the occasional incident. Countries who offer paid leave to their employees (ahem, most of the developed world) actually see more productivity from those same employees. Which makes sense, right? No family worries, no distractions.

This sounds like a deal DC workers and citizens need to get in on. And you can by signing the petition for paid family and medical leave insurance. Take a minute to tell DC City Council what’s important to you and your family!