[W]e need to support parents. Parents need paid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act so that they can care for their children; currently the law provides unpaid leave only for employees of companies with 50 or more employees. Additionally, some families need subsidies for child care so that they can thrive in those first years that are often the hardest and most expensive.
A coalition of labor and community groups including the Texas AFL-CIO wants San Antonio voters to decide whether the city should require businesses to give workers paid sick leave.
The U.S. used to be a world leader in women working. Not anymore.
Statement of Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women & Families
Overall, it amounts to $10,000 in lost wages a year, says Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families. That chunk of cash could pay for 14 more months of child care, 74 more weeks of groceries and an additional 10 months of rent for the average woman.
Nearly 75% of adults in the United States say losing 20% of their salary would be a major problem or crisis. Twenty percent is a big deal. Yet right now, women as a whole are paid 20% less than men. Women of color are paid even less.
Women Are Paid Just 80 Cents to Men’s Dollar, Costing U.S. Women Nearly $900 Billion Per Year; Study Examines Multiple Causes of the Wage Gap, Including How Sexual Harassment Can Affect Women’s Wages and Advancement
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Debra Ness, President and CEO of the National Partnership for Women and Families, a non-profit organization fighting for access to quality health care for all Americans, especially women and children. She discusses the [National Partnership’s] advocacy efforts that have informed policies such as the Family Leave Act, the HITECH Act and the Affordable Care Act.
“I think back to when I was younger when we were sick, how my parents didn’t get to take time off to take care of us,” [Linfield College] sophomore Raul Sanchez said.
[Sen. Heidi] Heitkamp also said the proposed Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, or FAMILY Act, would allow small businesses to offer the same family leave benefits now offered by large businesses. This would help make working for small businesses more attractive.
Children spending more quality time with their fathers has a cascade of social benefits, according to the Swedish government, but it also allows women to pursue their careers and become more active members of the workforce.
Being openly dedicated to the betterment of employees and their families remains a gold standard for Catholic organizations that align themselves with the Catholic mission. Some Catholic companies have begun to go beyond FMLA regulations to further support employees and their families.
“[This is] about the simple proposition that women seeking health care deserve the truth,” Debra L. Ness, the President of the National Partnership for Women & Families, said. “Women deserve unbiased information about their health care options. We have the right to transparent, truthful health information.”
The bill would also make caregivers of a sibling or grandchild eligible. It would increase the amount that people who [earn] less than double the minimum wage can receive when claiming temporary caregiver insurance.
One positive aspect of so many millennials taking on caregiving responsibilities, experts say, is that it may force lawmakers and companies to start paying attention.
Jersey City municipal workers will be eligible for paid parental leave, thanks to an executive order signed by Mayor Steve Fulop.
Statement of Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women & Families
Statement of Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women & Families
[Judith] Lichtman is a senior adviser to the National Partnership for Women & Families. She says [Roger] Severino’s actions … suggest he intends to protect people who want to discriminate against women who want birth control or abortions, which she points out are legal health care services.
If Utah offered paid family leave, [Jasmine] Parker says she’d have a buffer — time to deal with crises in her own immediate family, time for a vacation, time to just breathe. “It would be amazing,” she says. “I think I’m probably like a lot of people. Sometimes, it feels pretty overwhelming.”
