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HONORING FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES ACT
______
HON. GRACE MENG
of new york
in the house of representatives
Friday, July 30, 2021
Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, as our nation strives to build back better, we must make sure that women--especially moms--are not left out of any recovery efforts. Since the pandemic, two million women--including one million moms--left the workforce.
We know that women--especially women of color--always fought an uphill battle against gender norms and racial and gender pay equity--
and like so many other issues, the pandemic only exacerbated these existing injustices and inequalities. The pandemic also laid bare that the status quo is no longer acceptable; we need transformational structural changes to ensure women are protected against any future economic calamities.
After all, women's economic security and their families' financial stability are inextricably linked. That is why I introduced this week, the Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act--to promote a healthier work-life balance for hardworking families across the country, We must do more to promote positive work environments so that working parents are able to return to the labor force as soon as possible.
My bill would direct the Department of Labor to establish a national certification program that recognizes exemplary family-friendly business policies. It would recognize and incentivize employers who commit to helping employees balance their family obligations and work responsibilities.
The certification program is intended to be similar to the EPA's ENERGY STAR program that helps consumers identify energy efficient products, and would evaluate businesses on a number of policies, including:
Paid sick days for workers;
Child care subsidies;
Lactation support;
Reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers;
Assistance paying for or referring workers to fertility adoption services;
Paid family leave of at least 12 weeks per year; and
Flexible hours--or remote work policies--once parents return to work after a birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
Madam Speaker, nobody should have to choose between their work or their family; nobody should have to choose between receiving a paycheck or caring for their family.
By redesigning and investing in the workplace to be family-friendly, we are ultimately strengthening the wellbeing of children and families, businesses, and the economy. I urge all my colleagues in supporting this commonsense initiative to improve the lives of working families across America.
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 134
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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