WorkLife Law Staff Attorney Juliana Franco shared her expertise with the California Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee on steps the California Employment Development Department (EDD) could take to improve access to paid leave. Last year, California passed a bill to increase the wage replacement rate for the State Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave programs in 2025, making it more affordable for all workers to take the leave they need to bond with a new child, to care for a seriously ill family member, or for their own health. Now in the implementation stage, Juliana’s testimony addressed current barriers hindering access for low-wage and undocumented workers that the EDD should consider as the agency transitions to a new benefits system. 

We are pleased to welcome Francesca Bavaro as our new Executive Assistant & Office Manager at the Center for WorkLife Law. Francesca will manage the administrative operations of the organization and provide executive support to the Center’s Founding Director.

With many thanks to The Schmidt Family Foundation for renewed support, WorkLife Law will continue advancing reproductive justice for farmworkers through our collaborative initiative Dar a Luz: Legal Rights for Farmworkers in Pregnancy and Postpartum. Continued support will allow WorkLife Law and the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) to empower thousands of farmworking families.

Following the historic passage of The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (“PUMP”) for Nursing Mothers Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, WorkLife Law attorneys and advocates are working hard to ensure these new protections actually support the people who so urgently need them. For us, this means educating workers about their rights and supporting their self-advocacy. In partnership with A Better Balance, WorkLife Law created an updated English and Spanish guide for breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and pumping workers who are advocating for their lactation-health needs at work.

The Center for WorkLife Law is pleased to welcome Rebeca Garcia as our Communications and Grants Manager. Rebeca will work closely with senior leadership to develop and execute WorkLife Law’s communications strategy and grant fundraising goals.

The latest episode from the New Gender and Society Podcast features our Founding Director Joan C. Williams and Research Director Dr. Rachel Korn discussing their Gender and Society article on the types of bias people face in the workplace. In their findings, women of all races and men of color reported having to work twice as hard to get the same recognition as the “ideal worker” – or their white male colleagues.

This week, WorkLife Law’s Deputy Director Liz Morris shared her expertise in the California State Assembly in support of AB 524: The Family Caregiver Anti-Discrimination Act. If passed, this reform would promote economic, gender, and health equity by ensuring that common life events, like becoming a parent or tending to a sick relative, don’t cause families to fall into poverty. Liz’s testimony focused on the bill’s impact on businesses, citing data from a 2021 WorkLife Law analysis showing that laws prohibiting discrimination against family caregivers provide clarity to employers and reduce litigation.

The newly passed workers’ rights bill, The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), establishes clear requirements for employers to offer the workplace changes pregnant employees need so they can continue working while maintaining a healthy pregnancy. In order to equip attorneys with the knowledge and resources they need to leverage the PWFA in securing accommodations for their clients, WorkLife Law is proud to offer a webinar series in partnership with the ACLU and the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA).

The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (“PUMP”) for Nursing Mothers Act is a significant step forward for the workplace protections of lactating parents. Yet, the journey continues as we move into the implementation phase of this new policy. Check out this briefing from WorkLife Law and partners to learn about the law’s protections, the impact it will have on employers and workers, and next steps to secure protections for every worker who needs them.

Our new resource: Pregnancy Accommodations Explained explains the reasons employees need changes at work because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, and it identifies different reasonable accommodations that may help. Our new detailed guide may be useful to workers, HR professionals, and lawyers.