Swine Flu and Paid Sick Days.   As news of a swine flu outbreak spreads, experts are telling people to stay home if they are sick.   But for millions of Americans who lack paid sick days, this advice is not so easy to follow.

          -  Read Manhattan Borough President, Scott M. Stringer's call for paid sick days for all New Yorkers, Metro (May 20, 2009). 

          -  Read the New York Times editorial, The Cost of Staying Home Sick (May 5, 2009), urging President Obama to back paid sick day legislation so employees can heed the CDC's advice to stay home if they have flu-like symptoms.  More than 160 countries ensure that their citizens receive paid sick leave. 

          - TAKE ACTION!   Tell our leaders that we need paid sick days for all!

          - Click here to read more . . .

First Lady Promotes Aid For Working Families, N.Y. Times (May 7, 2009).  Paid sick leave, paid parental leave, and flexible work named as critical for working families.   

April 28th was Equal Pay Day.  On April 24th, the Equal Pay Coalition of New York City held a press conference featuring Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, co-sponsor of the U.S. Paycheck Fairness Act.  Click here to sign a petition in support of laws that would end gender and minority wage discirmination. 

EEOC Issues Employer Best Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held a meeting on April 22, 2009 to discuss best practices to avoid discrimination against caregivers.  Click here to read the press releases and remarks from invited panelists.

Sign a Petition to Protect Family Caregivers from Workplace Discrimination in New York City.  The New York City Council is considering a bill to ban discrimination in employment based on a person's status as a family caregiver.  Voice your support for his important legislation!

New Online Work/Family Education Tool for Labor Unions.   The Labor Project for Working Families has launched a new website called LEARN (the Labor Education & Resource Network) where labor unions can find information to help them bargain for contract provisions that help build a family-friendly workplace culture. 

New Comparative Study of Parental Leave Polices in 21 Countries.   This new research ranks the parental leave policies of countries around the world according to a gender equality index.  To read an interview with the study's authors, click here. 

Phoebe Taubman Quoted in Article about Paternity Leave.   On March 26th, 2009, the Inter Press Service highlighted "The Daddy Dilemma"--although more men are taking paternity leave the stigma attached to caregiving roles remains strong. 

Press Conference with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.  On March 16th, A Better Balance stood with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and representatives of the Equal Pay Coalition of NYC to call for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill which addresses wage disparity by preventing, regulating and reducing pay discrimination for women.  Click here to read more about the bill.

Dina Bakst Quoted in Forbes Magazine Cover Story.   The March 16, 2009 issue of Forbes magazine features a cover story about maternal profiling and sex discrimination in recent corporate layoffs.  Click here to read a related story on the New York Times website. 

New Policy Brief on Small Business.  The Sloan Work and Family Research Network has released a new policy mini-brief about how small businesses approach work/family policies. 

Rally for Family Caregivers.  On February 11, 2009, A Better Balance stood with Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, members of the City Council and other supporters to call for passage of Proposed Int. 565-A, which would amend the New York City Human Rights Law to protect family caregivers against employment discrimination.  Click here to read our briefing document about the proposed law.  Click here to read an article from the Epoch Times about the bill. 

Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act signed into law.    On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed this law, which reverses a U.S. Supreme Court decision and restores women's ability to challenge unequal pay.  It makes clear that each discriminatory paycheck is a new act of discrimination for purposes of resetting the time clock for bringing a claim.   To read a letter in support of the legislation, to which A Better Balance signed on, please click here. 

Open Letter to Congress and President-Elect Obama.  Work/family advocates, including A Better Balance, have joined an open letter by The Multi-State Working Family Consortium and the National Partnership for Working Families, which sets out priorities for working families in the economic recovery.  Organizations that would like to sign on should contact Karen Minatelli at \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

New FRD Policy Brief for State Legislators.  The Center for WorkLife Law and the Sloan Work and Family Research Network have released a new research brief for state policy makers describing state policy efforts to address FRD, including statistics on FRD, why FRD is a policy matter, and how FRD negatively impacts both employees and their employers. 

New FMLA Regulations.  On November 17, 2008, the Department of Labor released new two-part final regulations that on the one hand expanded Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) coverage for military families but also made it more difficult for other workers to access needed FMLA leave.  Click here for more information and to take action.