January 28, 2022
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Variants Mean Parents Need More Help

       

After nearly two years of the pandemic, the US government still does not have a strong coordinated response to the prospect of variant surges, leaving Americans in binds every time a wave hits. Although the current Omicron wave appears to be cresting in many parts of the country, the fact remains that there will likely be more waves in future months, many of which will deeply affect parents and other caregivers.

As is argued in a recent Fast Money article, the federal government should strongly consider instituting “paid pandemic leave” to alleviate some of the pressure that parents experience when schools suddenly close or go virtual as teachers and students fall ill with the virus.

Such measures were put into place as part of the Trump administration’s FFCRA emergency response when the pandemic first hit, but Congress allowed them to expire at the end of 2020, leaving in place only some tax credits, which means more paperwork for the already overworked. The FFCRA measures provided paid sick leave and paid family leave mandates, which, while not perfect solutions, gave parents and caregivers some extra leeway when trying to do what was best for themselves and their families or loved ones.

As with many aspects of US life, the pandemic merely accentuated festering issues that have plagued the US social safety net for decades as successive administrations have whittled away at programs like welfare and food stamps, and have dragged their feet on universal childcare and paid leave for maternity or medical issues.

New Study Shows Paid Parental Leave Has Mental Health Benefits

January 17, 2023
Paid Family Leave
Pregnancy Discrimination
A new meta study published in The Lancet finds that parental leave, especially paid leave, has numerous benefits, both for parental health and economic health, and leave is especially beneficial for mothers.

New Study of Employees With Long COVID Demonstrates Need for More Workplace Accommodations

January 12, 2023
Disability Discrimination
Since the beginning of the pandemic “long COVID” remains a new and poorly understood condition both for medical experts and people suffering from the condition. For workers, this has had a significant impact on their ability to remain productive at work.

In A Big Win for Pregnant Workers, Senate Passes PWFA and PUMP

January 4, 2023
Pregnancy Discrimination
Paid Family Leave
With bipartisan support, the United States Senate passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act in December.

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