Advancing the rights of working families.
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The Need for Fairness in the Workplace Many workplace norms and laws were developed over half a century ago, when a different workforce model and a different family model prevailed. In 1960, 70% of families had at least one parent at home full-time. Today, 70% of children are growing up in families headed by either a single working parent or two working parents. A Better Balance is working to change laws and policies to better reflect the way Americans live and work today.  
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The Need for Paid Sick Leave It comes as a shock to many Americans, who take for granted that they can stay home from work when they are sick, that 40 to 44 million of their fellow workers don’t have a single paid sick day. In fact, 38 percent of private sector U.S. employees have no paid sick time according to government statistics. Even fewer workers can take time off if their child or another family member is sick.
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The Need for Paid Family Leave The United States stands alone among industrialized countries in failing to guarantee workers paid family leave.  When a loved one has a health crisis, or when a new child is born or adopted, far too many American workers are forced to take unpaid leave or exit the workforce altogether.  Low-income workers and their families are especially vulnerable as they often lack the financial resources necessary to take advantage of unpaid time off.
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The Need to Value Care Work The United States suffers from widespread and persistent devaluation of care work. Our country treats the work of caring for children, the elderly, and those who are sick or disabled as secondary to other forms of labor. As a result, the work of caregiving is often poorly compensated or completely unpaid and, because it is treated as a private concern, the labor it involves becomes invisible. The labor of stay-at-home parents is taken for granted and domestic workers who provide paid care usually perform their labor without adequate legal protections.
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Work/Family Updates

ussenate Congress Introduces the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Representative Jerrold Nadler and over fifty other members of Congress introduced the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) on May 8, 2012. The PWFA ensures pregnant workers are not forced out of their jobs unnecessarily or denied reasonable job modifications that would allow them to continue working while maintaining healthy pregnancies. Dina Bakst, whose Op-Ed in the New York Times helped to inspire this bill, spoke at the press conference. To learn more and take action click here.
psd-fever Model Paid Sick Days Law.  A Better Balance provides legal assistance to paid sick days campaigns throughout the United States. In addition to supporting existing campaigns, we and the National Partnership for Women and Families have created a model paid sick days law for advocates who are considering a campaign in their states or localities. To access the recently updated model law and other tools for paid sick days campaigns, click here. 
iStock_000011788807Large Support Stay-At-Home Parents. The new CARD ACT requires companies to consider individual income for credit applications, which discriminates against stay-at-home parents. Click here to sign a petition standing up for stay-at-home parents! Also, the Women's Option to Raise Kids (WORK) Act would let low-income parents care for their kids. Learn more here. 
equalpay Equal Pay Day Event. A Better Balance co-sponsored an event for Equal Pay Day on April 16, 2012 with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and other activists and politicians. The date of Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into 2012 women must work to earn what men did in 2011. Speakers highlighted a range of issues, including the continuing problem of the wage gap for women of color, the importance of greater transparency around wage information, and the need to strengthen workplace protections for mothers to close this gap. Learn more about our equal pay work here.
familyleave2_thumb Make Paid Family Leave a Reality in New York! A Better Balance is launching a campaign to pass the Paid Family Leave Insurance Act in New York State. Sign this petition to call on Governor Cuomo to follow in California’s and New Jersey’s footsteps and make paid family leave a priority now!
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 EEOC Meeting Highlighted Pregnancy and Caregiver Discrimination. A Better Balance attended an EEOC meeting on February 15, 2012 in Washington, DC and submitted comments on pregnancy & caregiver discrimination. Check out the EEOC press release on the event detailing experts' comments on the problems facing working families today. 

ABB in the Media

Click here for a full list of A Better Balance in the Media.

ABB Spring Celebration 2012

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