Federal lawmakers seek to thwart paid sick days progress and undermine state and local victories through a new bill introduced this week. Contrary to proponents’ claims, the so-called Workflex in the 21st Century Act – H.R. 4219 – would not guarantee paid sick days and could actually make it less certain that working people have the sick time they need.
If we want to make sexual harassment a rarity, changing the law is important, but not sufficient. We also have to change the culture.
Gov. Gina Raimondo signed the Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act today, making Rhode Island the eighth state to enact a paid sick days law and bringing the national total to 40 jurisdictions with such laws nationwide. Some 100,000 Rhode Islanders will gain the right to earn paid sick time when the law takes effect in July.
With recent attention to the country’s dismal record of making paid leave available to workers, and growing consensus around the need for a national solution, it’s easy to forget the decades of work and milestone victories that have made this moment possible. One of the first happened 15 years ago this week, when California created the nation’s first state paid family leave program.
Sunday is National Grandparents Day, a time to celebrate the millions of grandparents who provide so much for our families and our country. Our nation’s grandparents are not only treasured members of our families; they also take on significant caregiving and breadwinning responsibilities.
For kids, heading back to school can be an anxious and exciting time – figuring out new routines, adjusting to different teachers and classmates and navigating changes in social and academic environments… Employed parents stress about changes too, but the millions of moms, dads and caregivers without paid sick time also have to worry about cold and flu season and what will happen if their kids get sick.
Working people and organizations across the country are coming together to stand up and speak out to remind elected officials that America needs strong workplace protections – and strong unions.
Sandberg’s support gives a major boost to the FAMILY Act, the next step in making America family friendly.
The 24th anniversary of the FMLA taking effect is a reminder that the pace of progress varies over time and, even on the days when the odds seem stacked against us, people can and will keep moving the country forward.
As many federal lawmakers were focused on rolling back and undermining the rights of people across the country this year, some state lawmakers considered bills aimed at helping people.
New government data show that, in just two years, the share of people working for private sector businesses in the United States who can earn paid sick time has increased dramatically – to nearly 79 million private sector workers.
As summer officially kicks off and state legislative sessions come to a close, there’s much to celebrate in the effort to increase access to paid sick days. Five new laws that will guarantee nearly two million more workers the right to earn paid sick time took effect July 1.
Imagine your elderly mother has pneumonia and you can’t afford time off to care for her. Imagine your husband was injured while serving in Iraq and you can’t be there during his recovery.
Trump’s budget proposal includes dramatic changes to health care and a very limited paid leave policy that ignores the importance of medical leave for new moms.
Holidays are nice. Progress is nicer.
“This is the time to move women’s rights forward, not roll back the progress we have made over decades.”
Equal Pay Day, April 4, is the day that marks how far into 2017 women have had to work to be paid the same amount men were paid in 2016. It’s a stunning indication that something is seriously wrong, and a time to ask what we’re doing as a nation to fix the problem
Judge Gorsuch’s record on women’s legal rights shows that time and time again, his approach to the law favors employers, politicians, and other powerful entities, and hurts the individuals who rely on the law for protection.
The Maryland Senate has approved a statewide paid sick days standard, bringing the state the closest it has ever been to joining the nearly 40 jurisdictions across the country with paid sick days laws. This is a historic advance for Marylanders, as well as advocates and lawmakers who have been working for years to secure such a standard.
Laughing so we don’t cry is a coping mechanism for many of us these days. It can also inspire meaningful action.
