Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
After years of activism, the New York City Council passed the Earned Sick Time Act, which A Better Balance helped to draft, by a veto-proof majority of 45-3! Sherry Leiwant, our Co-President and Co-Founder, was of the key negotiators who reached a compromise with the City Council Speaker on the legislation. Click here for an overview of the bill, which will ensure that New Yorkers cannot be fired for taking a day off when they or certain family members are sick and will ultimately require all employers with 15 or more employees to provide up to 5 paid sick days per year. This victory comes on the heels of a big win for paid sick time in Portland, OR, where A Better Balance also played a significant role!
Support the Women’s Equality Agenda!
Tell legislators that you support the groundbreaking New York Women’s Equality Agenda. Find out how you can get involved.
Start a Discussion!
Start a Discussion! Have your book club or moms' group read Babygate: What You Really Need to know about Pregnancy and Parenting in the American Workplace
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.
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.
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.
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.
Victory for Paid Sick Days in New York City!
From the Blog
-
Guest Blogger, Chelsea Levinson, discusses some surprising findings from state-by-state research for Babygate: What You Really Need to Know About Pregnancy and Parenting in the American Workplace.
-
Every day, LGBT Americans face unexpected emergencies or life events requiring their care and attention. Many LGBT workers learn at these critical moments that their employers provide little or no time off and fail to recognize their families.
-
Sheryl Sandberg has kicked up all sorts of controversy with her argument that career women can be their own worst enemy and should “lean in” more to their jobs and their ambitions. But the biggest, largely unspoken problem is that most women can’t rely on their work ethic or the good will of their boss to get ahead—they need stronger legal protections to effectively “lean in.”
Follow Us On:
Get Help
Free legal clinic for low-income pregnant women and family caregivers in New York. ABB and the law firm Outten & Golden LLP run a monthly clinic for people who experience workplace problems related to their family responsibilities.
Reports
The Case for LGBT-Inclusive Workplace Leave Laws &
Nondiscrimination Protections
A Work-Family Agenda for New England & The Nation
Beyond the Breadwinner: Professional Dads Speak Out on Work and Family
Does NYC Need a Prescription for Paid Sick Days. . . And Can We Afford It?
Sick in the City: What the Lack of Paid Leave Means for Working New Yorkers
Free Riding on Families: Why the American Workplace Needs to Change and How to Do It
