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The Betrayal of Work |
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Beth Shulman discusses The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans. |
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A graphic illustrates |
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the percentage of working American families that are below 200% of the poverty level. |
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Julie Atkins and Helen Ward |
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of the Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy write about workplace policies for parents of children with special needs. |
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Family Friendly Employers? |
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We’d like to know more about your interest in family friendly employers. Please take 2 minutes to answer 3 questions.
Our recent poll found that “Family Friendly Employers” is the work and family topic of greatest interest. Fifty-six percent of respondents asked the Network to develop work-family resources on family friendly employers, followed by resilience, stress and coping (39%) and return on investment or the business case (34%). The poll was available to Network affiliates from November 12-December 3, 2007, and completed by 440 people.
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New Work and Family State Profiles |
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We are proud to announce that the Work and Family State Profiles for all 50 states are now available, covering legislative activity during the 2007 session. These one page profiles provide a snapshot of how each state addresses issues facing working families and place the work-family agenda of each state in a national context. |
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» More News |
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Beth Shulman
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The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans |
An Interview with Beth Shulman
by Judi Casey and Karen Corday | Download Interview (PDF) |
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Casey: What do you mean by “low-wage job?” Can you give some examples?
Shulman: The designation of a wage level for low-wage jobs is a bit arbitrary. The poverty rate is around nine dollars an hour. But we know the poverty rate doesn’t measure what it really takes to make ends meet. In most areas it takes at least double that figure. Certainly, someone who’s making less than $10 to $12 an hour is in a low wage job. An important piece to remember is that it’s not just low wages that define a low wage job; there are so many other deficits to these jobs.
Casey: What do you mean by "low wage jobs"? Can you give some examples?
Shulman: The designation of a wage level for low-wage jobs is a bit arbitrary. The poverty rate is around nine dollars an hour. But we know the poverty rate doesn’t measure what it really takes to make ends meet. In most areas it takes at least double that figure...
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Percentage of Working Families That Are Below 200% of Poverty Level, 2005 |
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Source: Working Poor Families Project. (n.d.) Conditions of low-income working families. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from the Working Poor Families Project web site.
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Additional Resources Related to Low-Wage Workers |
ACORN: Paid Sick Days Campaign:
"ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families in the United States, working together for social justice and stronger communities..." |
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Annie E. Casey Foundation: Family Economic Success:
““Family Economic Success is an approach that helps low-income working families build strong financial futures in strong neighborhoods..." |
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Fairness Initiative on Low-Wage Work:"Information for the media on low-wage workers and their families. Includes a podcast, fact sheets, and reports." |
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Helen Ward
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Work-Family Project |
Making the Workplace Work for Employers and Parents of Children with Special Needs
By Julie Atkins and Helen Ward, the Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy |
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| As a result of conducting an extensive research study on the child care and work challenges of parents of children with special needs, a university in Maine is developing an educational tool to be used to reach out to employers, educate them about these challenges and suggest workplace flexibility policies to meet the needs of these employees and their employers. The Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy of the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, has been funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop an educational DVD that when completed, will be available as a packet with written materials for use by the full range of employers in Maine and around the country...
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| ANNOUNCEMENTS |
| CALL FOR PAPERS AND AWARDS |
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» View complete list of papers and awards |
| CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS |
- 9th Annual Fatherhood & Families Conference 2008
Theme: "Embracing Fathers, Families, and Our Future"
Where: Sheraton Crescent Hotel, Phoenix, AZ - When: March 4-8, 2008
- Families and Work Institute/Conference Board 2008 Work Life Conference
Theme: "How We Work and Live Today: The Impact on Employee Engagement and Talent Management
Where: Westin Buckhead, Atlanta, GA - When: March 5-6, 2008
- Families and Work Institute/Conference Board 2008 Work Life Conference
Theme: "How We Work and Live Today: The Impact on Employee Engagement and Talent Management
Where: Westin Buckhead, Atlanta, GA - When: March 5-6, 2008
»View all conference announcements |
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| LITERATURE UPDATES |
The Sloan Work and Family Research Network maintains an online database which contains the citations and annotations of work-family research publications.
One year ago, there were 8,300 citations in the Literature Database. As of February 2008, we now have over 9,300 citations.
Each month, we highlight up to ten publications that have recently been entered into this database.
See this month's selections |
| UPCOMING ISSUES |
Take Part in The Network News
Upcoming issues of The Network News will focus on the following topics:
- Domestic Violence and the Workplace
- Family Responsibility Discrimination
- Family-Friendly Public Policies
Is your work related to any of these topics? If so, please contact us. |
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| PROJECT TEAM |
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Judi Casey, MSW, Director / Principal Investigator |
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Karen Corday, MSLIS, Information Services Specialist |
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Jennifer Lawless, Graphic Designer / Communications Specialist |
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Lauren Leonard, Administrative Assistant |
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Sandee Shulkin, MSW, Project Manager |
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Julie Weber, J.D., Policy Specialist |
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