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.  

The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (“PUMP”) for Nursing Mothers Act expands and strengthens the rights of breastfeeding employees to receive break time and private space for pumping breast milk during the workday. WorkLife Law is proud to have been a leader in the fight to win these new workplace protections for lactating parents. Learn more about the law in this Explainer from the Center for WorkLife Law and partners.

The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) both passed the Senate with bipartisan support today as amendments to the omnibus spending package! This was the last major hurdle for both pieces of legislation and a huge victory for mothers and families. The Center for WorkLife Law’s report Exposed: Discrimination Against Breastfeeding Workers, provided the rallying cry for the PUMP Act by revealing key gaps in existing federal law.

The Protecting Family Caregivers from Discrimination Act (S.5136) which would prohibit workplace discrimination against employees with family caregiving responsibilities, was reintroduced today by U.S. Senator Cory Booker. This legislation has the potential to promote economic, health, and gender 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.

The Center for WorkLife Law is pleased to welcome Joe St. James as a Caregiver Discrimination Legal Fellow. Joe will work to assist those with caregiver responsibilities facing discrimination in the workplace, as well as conduct policy research on caregiver discrimination nationwide for the Center.

In this new video, Rocío Garcia-Rodriguez recounts her experience working in the fields during pregnancy and shares how the Dar a Luz legal helpline helped her access all of the paid leave benefits she had a right to receive.