Reweaving the Safety Net
Featured Guest Blogger September 24th, 2008
Today’s guest blogger is Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Senior Policy Analyst for the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.
Last week, I had the opportunity to testify on work-life issues before the Income Support and Family Security Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee. Importantly, this was not a hearing specifically about work-life issues, but about the challenges facing American workers. It’s a big step forward for the lack of paid family leave and the part-time penalty to be treated as a concern on a par with stagnant wages and the increasing cost of health insurance. I thanked the Committee for their recognition that workers are experiencing a time squeeze, as well as a financial squeeze, and that both are fundamental to the well-being of American workers and their families.
Given that Congress has only two weeks left before it goes on recess in order to campaign, it’s highly unlikely that any action will be taken this year on these issues, with the possible exception of a bill to provide paid parental leave to federal employees. However, the hearing is important in laying the groundwork for action in the next Congress. Following the hearing, Chairman McDermott introduced a resolution expressing the sense of Congress regarding the need to “reweave the safety net” to respond to the changing economy. Again, work-family issues were included.
In addition to the paid parental leave bill, legislation that might move forward next year includes:
- Healthy Families Act. This bill would guarantee all full-time workers at companies with at least 15 employees a minimum of seven paid sick days a year, with part-time workers receiving pro-rata benefits.
- Family Leave Insurance Act. This bill would support the development of insurance pools to provide paid family and medical leave to workers, modeled after the programs in California and New Jersey.
- Unemployment Modernization Act. This would provide incentives to states to extend unemployment benefits to individuals seeking part-time work and those who leave their jobs for compelling family reasons, such as caring for sick children or family members and to count a worker’s most recent work history when determining eligibility.
[...] Given that Congress has only two weeks left before it goes on recess in order to campaign, it’s highly unlikely that any action will be taken this year on these issues, with the possible exception of a bill to provide paid parental leave to federal [...]