Dear friend,
If you’re like us, last night’s election results have you reeling–and perhaps plotting how you’ll navigate the challenges the new administration will bring. You may be feeling angry, sad, or even hopeless. We’re with you. But we are not giving up on our fight for equity and justice.
We know they are counting on us feeling powerless, overwhelmed, and ultimately, tuning out. As the WorkLife Law team refines our strategies for the coming year, one thing is certain–we’re going to fight them for every inch.
Project 2025 is here; we can no longer rely on the federal government to protect our rights at work and school. But we can rely on each other. Over the coming weeks, our team will be crafting our proactive, all-in approach to filling gaps and building movement capacity in the face of these unprecedented challenges. WorkLife Law will be centering our efforts on three key strategies by:
- Protecting what we can at the national level.
While the federal agencies we rely on to enforce our civil rights will look very different under the next administration, we will do everything we can to hold the line in federal court – to prevent our existing rights under Title IX, the Pregnant Workers Fairness and PUMP Acts, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act from being rolled back. We will continue to train attorneys, offer technical support to litigators, and intervene in key cases in those courts where justice remains possible. - Building new legal rights at the state level.
Health, safety, and economic security for pregnant people and family caregivers shouldn’t depend on who is in the White House. We must take this fight to the states. WorkLife Law is already leading efforts to secure work and family protections in states across the country, but it is now all hands on deck. Stay tuned for our 2025 state policy agenda. - Expanding our free legal helpline.
As federal civil rights agencies are defunded and even weaponized against working families, we must step up to empower the most marginalized to access their rights. WorkLife Law’s helpline attorneys provide free and confidential support to help people keep their jobs, protect their health, and fight back against discrimination. We help people get time off work to travel for abortions, negotiate accommodations for postpartum students on the edge of dropping out, and ensure that people caring for disabled family members aren’t singled out for harassment.
The number of calls to our helpline has grown exponentially as the need for our services intensified during the pandemic. We expect another significant increase as the new administration begins dismantling support for pregnant people and family caregivers.
After sending this message, we are taking the rest of the day off to reflect and recharge–but tomorrow, we will get right back to fighting for workers, students, and their families. As dark as this day is, we’re grateful to be in community with you, our strong network of collaborators and supporters.
In solidarity,
Jessica Lee and Liz Morris
Co-Directors, Center for WorkLife Law