Cindy Lavendar-Bowe, Barnwood Living - West Virginia

West Sulpher Springs, WV

My husband Mark and I have run a company renovating barns for the past 20 years, including on our DIY Network televisions Barnwood Builders. Our show has translated into a home decor store, Barnwood Living in White Sulphur Springs, WV.

Even with this level of success, we are still a very small business and offering paid leave without a federal program has not been possible. When we had an employee who was pregnant and we did not want to lose her. We talked to our employee and ended up paying her her salary so we wouldn't lose her, while we picked up the extra work. It was tough on our business, but without a strong national paid leave policy, we had no other option. A federal policy would mean our employees could still receive their salaries on leave, and we could use the extra funds to hire temporary workers or pay overtime for other staff rather than doubling up on salaries.