Only policies that meet our complex needs can allow us to be ourselves whether at work or beyond. That’s why in addition to advocating for housing and job security, I’m a trans activist fighting for paid family and medical leave – one of the policies that is urgently needed for the trans community.
Statement of Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women & Families
As a pediatrician, I applaud the recently-passed Earned Sick Time Act. This law makes it possible for working Michiganders and their families to see a doctor, rest when they are sick, and care for a loved one without losing a day’s pay or risking getting fired.
Gov. Jeff Colyer signed a paid parental leave executive order Wednesday that will apply to more than 17,000 state employees.
Under the new policy, employees can leave work to address safety issues or take care of personal health problems, and [student workers] can potentially provide care for their roommate under an expanded definition of caregiver, [Director of Benefits Drew] Murphy said.
When Dwyane Wade introduced his newborn daughter and announced he would take time away from basketball to be a father, I braced myself for the backlash. Instead, he and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, were greeted with congratulations from teammates, celebrities and fans.
I never dreamed about the questions I would face when broaching the subject of maternity leave as an adoptive mother.
“When you don’t have leave, a day off of work can mean eight hours with no wages, and make someone’s job vulnerable,” LeaAnne DeRigne, an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work, told Bloomberg Law. “If you can be in trouble for taking a paid sick day,” and it puts your job in jeopardy, “then you’re really in a scary and insecure financial situation.”
“That is one that should be a no-brainer for Democrats and Republicans to come together on,” said Vicki Shabo, vice president at the National Partnership for Women and Families, an advocacy group.
[M]y brothers and sisters and I carry on my father’s vision of a business rooted in community, which to us means caring for those that help the community grow and thrive. That’s why we strongly support the recently-passed legislation giving Michigan workers the opportunity to earn paid sick time, so Michiganders can take a short time away from work to recover from an illness or care for a sick family member without disrupting their household’s budget or the fear of losing their job.
The National Partnership for Women and Families study found 68% of Democrats, 61% of Independents, and 60% of Republicans support Sen. Gillibrand’s FAMILY Act.
All parents of children face challenges balancing work, child-rearing, and family responsibilities. However, parents of children with disabilities often perform caregiving duties related to their child’s disability, beyond what is typical for child-rearing.
While worrying about making ends meet is a common concern for many Americans, new research shows that it is even more troublesome for working adults without paid sick leave.
Regardless of how many women win, advocates say the attention candidates are bringing to the issue should resonate in the new Congress and potentially change national policies.
Lawmakers and [Gov. Phil] Murphy have said 1.2 million workers, many in food and personal-care services, would benefit from the new law.
Sarah Fleisch Fink, general counsel and director of workplace policy for the National Partnership for Women & Families, reminds women to “educate themselves on what protections there might be.” Even if the Pregnancy Discrimination Act can’t help you, “if there’s a Human Resources department, go to HR, or if it’s a unionized workforce, go to your union rep. Find out if people have been accommodated.”
The National Partnership for Women & Families released a statement on Sunday, saying Trump’s reported plan is “an attempt to not only disenfranchise trans people but to enshrine ‘Proud Boy’ culture into law.” The group made it clear they were ready to join others in fighting back.
“If you miss your court hearing, then you don’t get your protective order,” said [Marium] Durrani, who, before she joined the National Network to End Domestic Violence, was a lawyer representing victims of domestic violence in court. “Or you miss your job and your employer finds grounds to terminate you, and you probably don’t have resources to combat that. Beyond the physical and emotional implications of abuse, there are these long reaching ramifications.”
