Time to Care: Family Flexible Policies as Work Supports

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Time to CareFamily Flexible Policies as Work
Supports
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Families have changed

• Just 30 families have a mother at home, caring
  for children, the ill and elderly (vs 70 in
  1960)
• 21 million fulltime workers provide care for the
  elderly, disabled or chronically. 60 have missed
  work or cut hours.
• Caregivers will increase 85 between 2000-2050.

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Workplace Policies Have Not

• FMLA (leave for new baby, serious illness of self
  or family) covers just 50 of private sector
  workforce.
• Because FMLA is unpaid, many who are covered
  cant afford to take leave. (2.7 million a year).
• Half all workers (three-fourths low-wage) have no
  paid sick days.

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Time to Care Policy Solutions

• Our nations labor laws were written 70 years
  ago, when many families had mothers at home.
• Its time to update employment laws to address
  todays working families.

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Needed Affordable family leave

• More than 3/5 of pregnant workers take less than
  12 weeks off.
• More than 1/2 (3/4 of those without college)
  receive no pay during leave.
• Story Stacy Colvin, Atlanta (Pregnant women
  dont know their limitations)

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Time to Care Global Perspective
The US is one of only four countries in the world
that does not provide paid maternity leave.
The others Liberia Swaziland Papua, New
Guinea
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Needed Paid Sick Days

• Fewer than 1 in 7 food service workers have paid
  sick days.
• 7 in 10 workers and nearly 9 in 10 low-wage --
  have no sick days to care for sick family
  members.
• Story Monique Evans, Portland, ME (Daughter has
  flu? Come in anyway.)

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Time to Care Helps Families and Business

• Low-income mothers with paid leave have higher
  earnings and are more likely to be employed.
  Heather Boushey
• A better way to do business reduce turnover and
  presenteeism, improve quality and productivity.

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Time to Care Improves Health

• Paid leave leads to reduced infant mortality.
  Christopher Ruhm
• Newborns whose mothers return to work later have
  better health outcomes. Jane Waldfogel
• Sick children recover quicker with parental care.
  Jody Heymann
• Chronic conditions are more controllable with
  parental involvement.
• Access to health insurance is meaningful only if
  theres time to seek care and to heal.

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Time to Care Improves Health Across Generations

• Aging recover more quickly, less need for nursing
  homes.
• Reduces stress on sandwich generation, improves
  their health.
• Paid time improves lives of paid caregivers,
  reduces turnover, lifts quality of care.
• Reduces risk to PUBLIC HEALTH.

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Policies that Make Work Pay

• Family economic security requires
• INCOME SUPPORTS raising the minimum standards
  (EITC, wages, insurance).
• CAREGIVING SUPPORTS making FMLA accessible,
  affordable adding new minimum standards.

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Reframing the Debate

• Family Values at Work Its About Time.
• www.9to5.org/familyvaluesatwork/

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Public Support

• Polling shows over-whelming support among all
  likely voters across regional, party, race and
  gender lines.
• 89 support paid sick days.
• 76 support family leave insurance.

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Impacting the Political Debate

• Hillary Rodham Clinton Too many Americans feel
  trapped between being a good parent and being a
  good worker. Its about time we stopped just
  talking about family values and started pursuing
  policies that truly value families. (October 25,
  2007)
• John Edwards No parent should have to choose
  between paying the bills and caring for a new
  child or seriously ill family member. It is past
  time for America to update our work-family
  policies to support the way families work today.
  (November 13, 2007)
• Barack Obama We talk a lot about family values,
  but we dont as a society and as a government
  value families.
• (November 12, 2007, announcing support for
  package including paid sick days and family leave
  insurance)
• Chris Dodd No one should have to choose between
  the job they need and the family they love
  today many people are forced to make these types
  of decisions.
• (June 21, 2007)

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Needed Leave for routine medical and educational
appointments

• To strengthen schools and educational
  achievement
• Parental involvement is the key.
• For healthy workplaces, schools and families
• Preventive care and regular visits are key.

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Contact Us

• 9to5 Natl Assn of Working Women
• www.9to5.org
• 1-800-522-0925