Women are far more likely than men to take time out of the workforce to raise families or occupy other caregiver roles, such as elder care. When returning to the workforce, these women often find their time away not only deprives them of seniority, but, more perniciously, that time away actively counts against them, as many employers judge candidates’ capabilities solely on what they’ve done most recently.

Because of this, many women reentering the workforce find themselves unable to find work in keeping with their actual qualifications. Therefore, the choices are winnowed to taking on debt to receive additional degrees or certifications, accepting underemployment, or simply remaining out of the workforce entirely. This is a substantial contributor to the gender wage gap.

To address this, I plan on reintroducing legislation to establish the Phoenix Credit (formerly HB426), a tax incentive to encourage employers to expand their imaginations as to whom they’re willing to hire. Greatly increasing a candidate’s salary relative to previous employment or bringing a candidate back into the labor force after an absence of two or more years would entitle an employer to a healthy benefit each year the Phoenix employee is with the company, up to three years.
 
The Phoenix Credit will not only help returning workers, but also those who may have been unable to build sufficient resumes due to circumstances beyond their control, such as entering the job market during a recession.
 
Furthermore, this bill will create incentives for companies to create returnships, which are paid, intend-to-hire internships that serve to transition employees back into full-time roles.
 
Finally, this bill will create a tax credit for the Phoenix employees themselves who enter or re-enter in-demand industries identified yearly by the Department of Labor & Industry, thereby addressing labor shortages.

The Phoenix Credit is a necessary first step in minimizing the gender pay gap, as well as ensuring fairness and preventing despair in the workforce, all while mitigating critical shortages in our work force. Please join me in support of this important legislation.
 
Prior co-sponsors: HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, MADDEN, KINSEY, DELLOSO, D. WILLIAMS, KINKEAD, CONKLIN, FIEDLER, and KRAJEWSKI.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0797: P.L.6, No.2