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.
WorkLife Law has been at the forefront of advocating for legal rights for family caregivers for the last 25 years and is proud of the progress this Bill’s introduction represents. Prohibiting caregiver discrimination is critical for women’s economic advancement and closing the gender wage gap; improving caregiver mental health; and ensuring children, people with disabilities, and the elderly are well taken care of. To learn more, check out WorkLife Law’s 2-pager on caregiver anti-discrimination laws and our family responsibilities discrimination webpage. Onward!