Paid Leave Insurance Would Provide Vital Benefits at an Affordable Cost
Since its signing on February 5, 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has been used millions of times by eligible workers to take up to 12 weeks of job protected, but unpaid, leave for their own serious health conditions, having a new child, or caring for seriously ill family members. On the 25th anniversary, IWPR released a new fact sheet showing that the proposed FAMILY Act would cost less than half of one percent of taxable payroll, while extending access to the economic, health, and social benefits of paid leave to millions of Americans.
>>Read the fact sheet
25 Years after FMLA: Research Finds that Paid Leave is a Great Investment
Despite initial fears among skeptics that it would hurt business, protections guaranteed by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)—passed 25 years ago this week—are now a cornerstone of U.S. employment law and human resource policy, providing peace of mind to millions of workers who have started families, faced serious illness, or cared for a loved one, all without hurting their employer’s bottom line. FMLA was step one. Almost three decades later, workers are still waiting for step two—paid family and medical leave.
>> Read the post by IWPR president Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D., and Job Quality and Income Security Program Director Jeffrey Hayes, Ph.D.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
IWPR and American University’s Program on Gender Analysis in Economics Announce New Partnership
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) and American University’s Program on Gender Analysis in Economics (PGAE) are announcing a new partnership to collaborate on gender-focused research relevant for public policy. The new affiliation will support joint events, research projects, and the joint appointment of a research economist, who will have the opportunity to direct an academically rigorous, policy-oriented research program at IWPR and provide high-quality instruction in American University’s graduate and undergraduate programs.
President Heidi Hartmann says, “I am thrilled to partner with AU’s Program on Gender Analysis in Economics, an academic kindred spirit to IWPR’s policy-oriented approach.”
[Call for Papers] Pathways to Gender Equality: Economic Gender Analysis Addressing Current and Future Challenges
PGAE and IWPR are pleased to announce a call for papers for a conference to be held on October 26 and 27, 2018, in Washington, DC, bringing together scholars and policy analysts who see gender analysis as central to solving the important economic issues–increasing inequality, global poverty, the increasing deficit of care. The conference seeks proposals for papers, panels of papers, round tables, and posters. Visit the IWPR website for a full description and to learn how to submit your proposal.
IWPR Recognized as One of Top Think Tanks in the United States
For the third year in a row, IWPR has been recognized as one of the top think tanks in the United States by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania, with recognition for its external affairs program and named a “think tank to watch.” Read the report and see the rankings on the TTCSP website.
NEW RESOURCES & COMMENTARY
National Stalking Awareness Month: Economic Impacts of Stalking
January 2018 marked the 15th observance of National Stalking Awareness Month. Stalking continues to affect nearly one in six women and more than one in 19 men in the United States in their lifetime. Research shows that the economic effects of stalking on victims are long-lasting. Wise policymaking would consider the economic impacts of stalking and how to better accomodate victims’ needs.
>>Read more on IWPR’s blog.
Is Your Campus Family Friendly? Data and Tools to Promote Student Parent Success–Webinar Recording Available
In case you missed our webinar, co-hosted with Endicott College, that reviewed new IWPR research on single mothers in college and provided an overview of Endicott’s Family Friendly Campus Toolkit: Using Data to Improve Outcomes, a self-assessment resource for higher education institutions that provides guidance on how to collect data about and from student parents, and for improving the availability of services that can help them succeed, you can access the full presentation and recording of the webinar on our website.
IWPR IN THE NEWS
#MeToo
MarketWatch | Next for #TimesUp and #MeToo: More women CEOs (February 4, 2018)
The Root | Playing the Blame Game: Consent Is Both Simpler and More Complicated Than You Think (January 21, 2018)
Bloomberg | As #MeToo Sweeps the World, Economics Profession Has Its Own Reckoning (January 18, 2018)
Equal Pay
NBC News | How women can close their own personal wage gap (January 29, 2018)
Marketwatch | What Rosie the Riveter would make today (January 28, 2018)
CNN Money | The words we use to talk about the gender pay gap (January 22, 2018)
USA Today | Pay gap: 48% of women say they have to work twice as hard as men to take home half the pay (January 18, 2018)
Hollywood Reporter | 3 Ways Women in Hollywood Can Negotiate a Better Deal (January 18, 2018)
CNBC | Michelle Williams reportedly got 1,000 times less than Mark Wahlberg—here’s how to ensure that won’t happen to you (January 10, 2018)
Future of Work
The Atlantic | Why Are Women Still Choosing the Lowest-Paying Jobs? (January 25, 2018)
Bloomberg | What the Gender-Pay Gap in Clothing Says About U.S. Wage Growth (January 25, 2018)
Bizwomen | Women pay the price for automation (January 24, 2018)
Student Parents
The Hechinger Report | A program helps low-income parents graduate at twice the rate of other community college students (February 5, 2018)
Nerdwallet | For Some Single Parents, Online College Holds the Key (January 30, 2018)
Educate (Podcast) | Nearly 1 in 5 female college students are single moms (January 16)
Paid Leave
Slate | The Anti-Trump Wave May Position Hawaii to Lead Way on Work-Family Policies (January 18, 2018)
