California’s legislature this week passed important legislation prohibiting discrimination against family caregivers at work! The Family Caregiver Anti-Discrimination Act (AB 524, Wicks) was approved by the California Senate and Assembly and is now headed to the Governor’s desk.  WorkLife Law is proud of the central role its advocacy and research have played in bringing California workers so close to winning this critical workplace protection.

In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, we are lighting up New York Times Square with a billboard ad for the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act and PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act which secured strong protections for pregnant and lactating workers nationwide. Today’s celebration was filled with joy, pride, and determination to continue the important work of spreading the word to every worker about their new rights– from our detailed know-your-rights guides to a shiny billboard in one of the country’s most visited venues.

Last December, the historic workers’ rights bill Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act) established federal workplace protections for lactating parents. In order to equip attorneys with the knowledge and resources they need to leverage the PUMP Act 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). 

This week, our team had the honor of celebrating the passage of the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act (PWFA) and The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) Act at the White House. Thanks to the White House Gender Policy Council, we had a space to share the weight of these historic wins which are now in full effect alongside many of our partners who also tirelessly advocated for these laws.

We are pleased to welcome our newest Research Assistants at the Center for WorkLife Law: Naomi Yang, Quinn Lichterman, Isis Queen, and Kayla Munguia. They will be working with the research team to conduct qualitative data analysis for the Center’s ongoing Bias Interrupters partnerships.

The Center for WorkLife Law celebrates today’s enactment of the historic Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). 

Beginning today, June 27, 2023, employers with 15 or more employees are required to provide their employees with reasonable accommodations, when needed, for pregnancy and related conditions like childbirth recovery, postpartum depression, and lactation. With the new protections provided by PWFA, pregnant workers nationwide will finally have the right to workplace changes enabling their safety, health, and employment. Before the PWFA became law, one quarter million women were denied their work accommodation requests each year.

WorkLife Law was invited by State Innovation Exchange (SiX), a national strategy center that resources state legislators, to talk about how state lawmakers can ensure all workers are able to provide care for their loved ones without jeopardizing their family’s economic security stability. In this video, our Deputy Director Liz Morris shares about her own experience as a mother and how the system is failing caregivers everywhere. 

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.