Monthly Archive for September, 2012

Nation’s First State Paid Leave Program Turns 10 – Here’s to Many More Decades of Success for Workers, Families and Businesses

Published on September 30, 2012 in Vicki Shabo and Work & Family. 1 Comment

Vicki Shabo, Director of Work and Family Programs

Last weekend marked a decade since California enacted its groundbreaking state paid family leave insurance program – the first in the nation. In honor of this anniversary, researchers at the University of Santa Barbara took a look at the program’s impact on the state’s families, businesses and economy. As Californians who have used the program to care for a new child or an ill loved one know, it is a huge success.

According to the report, Ten Years of the California Paid Family Leave Program: Strengthening Commitment to Work, Affirming Commitment to Family, California’s paid leave insurance program has been used more than one million times – most commonly for bonding with a new child. The result has been positive health and economic outcomes for families and positive results for businesses.

For example, the analysis shows that mothers in lower quality jobs who used the state’s paid leave program were able to breastfeed for twice as long as those who did not. Breastfeeding is known to decrease the risk of disease for both mothers and infants.

The program has allowed new fathers to care for their children without sacrificing their economic security. In the past three years, use of the paid leave program among new fathers has increased by six percent. This is critical at a time when the majority of families are increasingly dependent on two incomes.

The benefits experienced by California businesses have also been significant. Women who returned to their jobs after taking paid leave through the state’s program increased their working hours by six to nine percent. And because the program is funded through employee contributions, there have been zero direct costs for employers.

Despite the overwhelmingly positive outcomes for workers and businesses, the report also recognizes that there are areas for improvement. Too many Californians still don’t know about the program, and many low-income workers – even though they pay into the program – can’t afford to use it because they can’t make ends meet with the level of wage replacement (55 percent of wages) it provides.

So there’s much to celebrate at this anniversary, but there’s also work to do – in California and throughout the country.

California’s program means that more workers are able to take the time they need to care for their new children or ailing loved ones. But, for the majority of workers in the United States, caregiving leave without financial worry is out of reach. With the success of California’s program – and a similar one in New Jersey – as our guide, it’s time for Congress to establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program that nearly all workers will be able to use at some point in their lives.

The ability to take care of one’s health and family should not depend on geography. California continues to show us that success is possible and benefits are far-reaching. It’s time for the entire country to follow the Golden State’s lead.

Deeply Disturbing Study Shows Bias Against Women in Science Runs Deep

Published on September 28, 2012 in Debra Ness and Workplace Fairness. 2 Comments

Debra Ness, President, National Partnership

Just days after the release of the National Partnership’s analysis of new U.S. Census data that shows a gender-based wage gap exists in nearly every corner of the country, researchers at Yale University have published a powerful new study that shows gender impedes women’s advancement in science. The stunning results reveal a deep and punishing bias against women – one that undercuts the potential for professional and financial success for women in the field.

According to the New York Times, the researchers wanted to assess barriers to advancement for women in science beyond the now common explanations used to justify women’s absence or slow progress in the field. These are the same baseless excuses some people use to deny the existence of a gender-based wage gap in this country: women make different choices, they pursue less lucrative careers or they opt out of the workforce to care for children. As this new study and many others show, these arguments simply don’t hold up.

The Yale team of researchers asked science professors at a handful of private and public universities to consider the job application of a recent graduate. Each professor was given the same one-page summary of the candidate, but with one key difference: name. In some cases the applicant was named John and in others Jennifer – but the summary of qualifications did not change. And here’s what happened:

On a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 being highest, professors gave John an average score of 4 for competence and Jennifer 3.3. John was also seen more favorably as someone they might hire for their laboratories or would be willing to mentor.

The average starting salary offered to Jennifer was $26,508. To John it was $30,328.”

The deep bias these researchers identified is shocking and appalling. It shows that, despite women and men entering the workforce on equal footing, prejudice or faulty assumptions can quickly enter into employment decisions – to the great detriment of women’s professional and financial prospects. And the pervasiveness of this bias (seen here among highly-educated academic professionals) makes it clear that sporadic improvements by individuals and employers will not be enough to correct the problem.

That’s where Congress comes in, and that’s why legislation designed to promote basic fairness for women in our workplaces like the Paycheck Fairness Act is so critical.

We cannot continue to let gender bias run rampant in our nation’s workplaces, especially in the face of research like this and the increasing importance of women’s wages to their families and our economy. It’s time to get past the excuses used to justify the unfair and biased treatment of women in the workforce, and to make fixing the problem a priority.

An Issue that Affects Women in 97 Percent of the Country’s Congressional Districts

Published on September 21, 2012 in Debra Ness and Workplace Fairness. 1 Comment

Debra Ness, President, National Partnership

Cross-posted from the Huffington Post.

There is much talk about the challenges facing America’s families today. Often the talk is so big picture it’s hard to boil it down to what it means for real people, in their homes and communities, at their dinner tables, and in their checkbooks. But when it comes to fair pay and economic security for women and their families, doing so just got a lot easier.

That’s because the National Partnership just released the findings of an unprecedented analysis of new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. And the results are deeply troubling.

In nearly every corner of the country – in 423 out of 435 congressional districts – women are paid less than men. That means that women and families living in 97 percent of the country’s congressional districts are losing critical income they could use to pay for food, gas, rent, health insurance and more every year, because we haven’t dealt with a pervasive and punishing gender-wage gap. But now, every woman and every lawmaker can see how the difference in wages paid to women and men plays out in their community.

Nationally, full-time working women are paid just 77 cents for every dollar paid to full-time working men – a gap that has remained largely unchanged for a decade. That amounts to $11,084 dollars annually. African American women and Latinas fare even worse, being paid just 64 and 55 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic, white men, respectively.

Ask any of the two-thirds of women in this country who are breadwinners for their families, and they will tell you what thousands of dollars in additional income each year would mean to them, in addition to the women and families in their communities.

According to our analysis, the congressional districts with the largest gender-based, cents on-the-dollar wage differences are in Louisiana, Virginia, New Jersey and West Virginia. The two districts with the largest gaps are in southern Louisiana; women there are paid just 61 cents for every dollar paid to men. To find out what the wage gap is in your state or district, check out our map of thewage gap in all states and 435 districts.

These new data should be a clear and resounding wake-up call for all lawmakers who have the power to pass legislation that would help close the gap and promote economic security for the women and families in their districts. The Paycheck Fairness Act would do just that, but opponents continue to block it in Congress despite strong public, bipartisan public support.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963; prohibit retaliation against workers for discussing their salaries; recognize employers with good pay practices; and provide assistance to businesses, especially small ones, that need help adopting them. It would create a negotiation skills training program for women and girls and enhance federal agencies’ investigative and enforcement abilities.

Lawmakers cannot be serious about supporting families and strengthening our economy if they allow a wage gap that persists across industries, education levels and geography to go unaddressed. It’s time for all members of Congress to take a hard look at an issue that is hurting women and families in 97 percent of districts across the country. It’s time for them all to commit to promoting fair wages by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The National Partnership’s findings for all 50 states and all 435 congressional districts can be found here: www.NationalPartnership.org/Gap. More information on the wage gap can be found atwww.NationalPartnership.org/FairPay.

A Sad Day and a Hopeful Lesson in Orange County

Published on September 19, 2012 in Vicki Shabo and Work & Family. 0 Comments

Vicki Shabo, Director of Work and Family Programs

Cross-posted from MomsRising.

Late yesterday, it became disappointingly clear that voters in Orange County will not see a proposal for earned sick time on their ballots in November. Despite the will of at least 46,000 Orange County voters and a broad coalition of workers, businesses and advocates who played by the rules, Mayor Teresa Jacobs and county commissioners ignored their duties and caved to special interests to keep citizens from being able to vote. This is the most blatant example I’ve seen of moneyed special interests using their clout to subvert the purest tool of citizen democracy: the right of citizens to petition the government.

As National Partnership President Debra L. Ness said, “it is a sad day for democracy.”

But what happened in Orange County is not just worrisome and harmful for working families, businesses and the democratic process in Florida. What happened in Orange County is the latest example of a growing, far-reaching and coordinated attack led by big business special interests with unlimited financial resources and access.

Early on, the Florida corporate business lobby made taking down a popular earned sick time measure in Orange County a priority. Perhaps they were worried that momentum built through wins last year in Connecticut and Seattle (and before that in San Francisco, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.) was coming their way. And perhaps that’s a silver lining in all this – it’s a testament to the strength of the nationwide movement to let workers earn paid sick days.

Through baseless yet extremely well-funded tactics, the Florida business lobby sought to systematically undermine democracy and keep voters from having the opportunity to approve a measure that would strengthen the local economy, protect public health and provide stability for working families. First they sued. When they lost in court, they went to the county commission and the mayor. Why? Because, if Orange County voters had the chance to weigh in, they just might have approved the measure – and that would’ve been unacceptable to the corporate interests who ignore the clear benefits of paid sick days laws in favor of job-killer rhetoric proven time and again to be false.

The truth is this: This powerful lobby has fought for decades against every major advance for workers and their families – from Social Security to minimum wage to the Americans with Disabilities Act. These special interests, which falsely claim to represent the interests of all employers, misconstrue the facts and ignore the significant and widespread benefits of paid sick days for businesses and the economy. They pit businesses against each other, play on myths that distract from the essence of the problems that working families face, and keep voters and legislators from carefully and honestly considering reasonable proposals.

There’s no question that this makes for a daunting road ahead as workers, advocates and enlightened businesses continue to advance paid sick days proposals at the local, state and federal levels. But it should give us hope. We are making progress, and we have the power of common sense and a growing public will behind us.

It may be a sad day in Orange County, but the fight for earned sick days there is not over. The Orange County earned sick time coalition will not give up. Paid sick days will prevail there and across the country.

Vicki Shabo is the director of work and family programs at the National Partnership for Women & Families.

A Step Forward in Congress for Pregnant Workers and Their Families

Published on September 19, 2012 in Debra Ness and Workplace Fairness. 3 Comments

Debra Ness, President, National Partnership

It is shameful to think that, nearly 35 years since we banned pregnancy discrimination in this country, pregnant women are still being fired, forced out of their jobs and denied employment and promotion opportunities.

What’s worse is that claims of pregnancy discrimination are actually increasing; they’ve risen 35 percent in the past ten years. When more than three in five pregnant women in the United States (62 percent) are in the labor force and their incomes are critical to their families’ economic security, this simply cannot stand.

That is why we are so pleased that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bill with substantial and growing support in the House of Representatives (108 cosponsors so far), was introduced in the Senate today. It is a welcome and necessary step forward for women, families and the ongoing effort to curb pregnancy discrimination in this country.

The bill is aimed at addressing discrimination against pregnant women who are forced out of their jobs or denied minor job modifications – even though their employers routinely make similar modifications for male employees who have been injured or are temporarily impaired.

Quite simply, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would ensure that pregnant workers are treated equally. It would ensure the same protections for women with pregnancy-related limitations as the protections already in place for workers with similar limitations. It would prevent employers from forcing pregnant women out of the workplace. And it would help ensure that employers provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant women who want to continue working.

In a country that claims to value family and fairness, we must not allow workers to be unnecessarily and unfairly pushed out of their jobs due to pregnancy. We commend Senators Robert Casey (D – Penn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D – N.H.) for championing this bill. Now, it’s time for all members of Congress to make it a priority.

A Roadmap to the Economy Working Families Need

Published on September 13, 2012 in Leticia Mederos and Work & Family. 0 Comments

Leticia Mederos, Vice President

Talk about jobs and the economy seems to be everywhere – on television, online and at millions of kitchen tables across the country. That’s because families continue to struggle with economic insecurity, high unemployment and a dearth of decent jobs. And it’s going to take more than one person or policy to get us where we need to be.

That’s why, today, the National Partnership joined with nearly 20 other organizations that research the economy, advocate for good jobs and represent working families to release a concrete, step-by-step plan for strengthening the economy and getting us back on track.

The new report, 10 Ways to Rebuild the Middle Class for Hard Working Americans: Making Work Pay in the 21st Century, offers a clear roadmap to the economy working families need. From establishing family friendly workplaces to stopping wage theft, fixing the minimum wage and helping to ensure greater health and retirement security for families, it offers a comprehensive set of policies that will jumpstart the economy and help rebuild the middle class.

At the National Partnership, we know that policies like paid sick days and paid family and medical leave are a critical piece of the puzzle. Without national standards, countless workers are forced to choose between their jobs and their health or families when illness strikes. It’s not right. It results in unnecessary job loss and turnover that hurts our economy and working families. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

Rebuilding our economy isn’t just about jobs. It’s about creating good jobs that allow workers to provide for their families while supporting local businesses and helping the economy recover and grow. We’re proud to be joining with leading advocacy organizations to put forth a real plan for getting us there.

An America that works for everyone is possible. Together, we can make it happen.

A Texas-Sized Disaster

Published on September 11, 2012 in Lisa M. Hollier, Repro Health Watch and Reproductive Health. 0 Comments

Lisa M. Hollier, MD, MPH, FACOG

Here in Texas, Latinas and African American women fare worse than their Caucasian counterparts on almost every measure of wellness.  So, losing a program that provides vital preventive health care to thousands of low income, minority women – like the Women’s Health Program does – is a Texas-sized disaster.

We know disparities in health outcomes for Latinas and African American women are far too prevalent.  Consider these troubling stats:  According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, African American women are 1.25 times more likely to die from heart disease, 1.6 times more likely to die from breast cancer and 2-4 times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth than Caucasian women. For Latinas, the death rate from cervical cancer is 1.5 times higher than for Caucasian women. The vast majority of these cancer deaths can be prevented by timely access to screening and diagnosis, and access to reliable, affordable contraception allows women to plan for and space their pregnancies, which is known to improve outcomes. That’s why, here in Texas, the Women’s Health Program (WHP) is so important.

WHP provides essential preventive health services to low-income women.  Texas has more uninsured, non-elderly women than any other state in the country – 30 percent of women here fit that description!  Here in Texas, we have an estimated 1.7 million women of childbearing age who are medically underserved based on poverty, lack of health insurance, elevated health risks or because they live in communities with a shortage of primary health providers.  Just two years ago, the Women’s Health Program in Texas served more than 100,000 of these low-income women, providing necessary health screenings and counseling about contraception and sexually transmitted infections.

Last year, Texas legislators voted to exclude Planned Parenthood and others affiliated with abortion providers from the Women’s Health Program.  The State’s action is in direct conflict with federal law which assures that Medicaid beneficiaries may obtain covered services from any qualified provider willing to provide the service.  Governor Rick Perry’s decision means that Texas will lose 90 percent of the funds that paid for the program.

Here in Texas, our Women’s Health Program is barely on life-support.   The rules for the new state-run program create obstacles that cripple this valuable program.

Problem 1:  These rules place restrictions on doctors that conflict with our ethical duty to provide the best care possible to our patients.  The rules prohibit participating doctors from counseling their patients about abortion. This applies not just to patients in the WHP, but ALL patients, and essentially creates a “gag rule” for physicians.

Problem 2:  There weren’t enough providers to meet the needs of Texas women before the “gag rule” was introduced.  In a recent report released by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative, the loss of participation by Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) clinics would jeopardize access to care for nearly 52,000 low-income women in Texas.

Without access to the preventive services provided by the Women’s Health Program, health disparities are likely to worsen for women here in Texas.    Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the nation’s top health official, has stated “It is time to refocus, reinforce, and repeat the message that health disparities exist and that health equity benefits everyone.”   The current plan here in Texas does just the opposite.  Reduced access to services means that fewer breast and cervical cancers will be detected early in their course when they are most curable, and fewer women will find out that they have high blood pressure or diabetes before the diseases have already taken a toll on their health.  Losses like these mean yet another step backward for Texas women.

Here in Texas, ACOG will keep advocating for women’s health.  We join partners and pledge to:

  •  Advocate for restored funding for the Women’s Health Program.
  • Advocate for policies that assure broad availability of actively participating providers.
  •  Oppose any measures that would impose additional barriers to women trying to access health care.

Lisa M. Hollier, MD, MPH, FACOG is Chair of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District XI (Texas).

This blog post was published in conjunction with Repro Health Watch, an exciting new edition of the Women’s Health Policy Report, which compiles and distributes media coverage of proposed and enacted state laws, ballot initiatives and litigation affecting women’s access to comprehensive reproductive health care. 

 

 

Let’s Remember the Many Ways Grandparents Support Their Families

Published on September 9, 2012 in Leticia Mederos and Work & Family. 0 Comments

Leticia Mederos, Vice President

Today is Grandparents Day, when we pause to honor and celebrate a generation that is making enormous contributions to our families and our country. It’s also a holiday that I just recently learned has an official flower with a striking name: the forget-me-not. Sadly, it got me thinking about how often grandparents as caregivers and breadwinners are forgotten in this country, notably in our public policies.

Grandparents today face significant – and increasing – work and family responsibilities. Nearly four in 10 grandparents in the United States are now responsible for the care of their grandchildren. And more than half of the seven million grandparents who live with their grandchildren are in the workforce.

Grandparents also need and depend on care from family members who have jobs. In fact, in 2009, more than five million unpaid family caregivers in the United States were caring for a grandparent or grandparent-in-law.

But despite this growing pressure on grandparents and their caregivers, under current federal law, neither grandparents who care for grandchildren nor grandchildren who care for grandparents can take job-protected time off to meet their caregiving needs. And it is a terrible and often devastating problem for families.

That’s why lawmakers at all levels need to prioritize and advance family friendly workplace policies that would support grandparents. At the federal level, there are already proposals in Congress that would help tremendously. The Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act and the Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act would expand access to unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act to grandparents so that both working grandparents and employed family caregivers can take job-protected leave when caregiving needs arise.

But giving grandparents and their caregivers access to unpaid leave isn’t enough. These workers – and all workers – need access to paid time off in order to meet their caregiving responsibilities without jeopardizing their economic security. And that’s why passing national paid sick days legislation like the Healthy Families Act and a paid family and medical leave insurance program are absolutely critical.

So, this Grandparents Day, let’s remember all that grandparents do, and urge our elected officials as well as candidates for office to stand up for the family friendly workplaces policies the nation needs. The forget-me-not may be the official flower of Grandparents Day, but it shouldn’t reflect the ways our policies neglect grandparents’ contributions and needs.