http://www.clasp.org/issues/topic_in_focus.xml?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0002 In Focus articles from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 13:50:29 -0500 info@clasp.org webmaster@clasp.org 40 Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0065 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0065 Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0063 Today, CLASP and its partner, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), released a new tool for job quality advocates, including advocates for earned sick days and paid family leave. The jointly produced brief provides advocates with a primer on the nuts and bolts of the business certification movement and suggests ways to foster fruitful relationships between the movement and campaigns for improved job quality, such as earned sick days campaigns. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0063 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0061 All politicians -- whether Democratic or Republican -- have a mother. While their politics may differ, they share a need to care for parents and other family at some point in their lives. That's common ground. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0061 Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0060 aEURoeHoly smokes!aEUR? is how James Heckman, a Nobel prize winner in economics, enthusiastically reacted to the details of President ObamaaEUR(TM)s early childhood education plans. HeckmanaEUR(TM)s shout-out makes sense. One doesnaEUR(TM)t need to be a Nobel laureate nor an economist to see how this early education agenda could make a huge difference in providing opportunity to many more children. While the agenda is bold and multifaceted and deserves high marks, it also missed a vital opportunity by neglecting to address paid family leave. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0060 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0059 Last week marked the twentieth anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which has offered millions of workers access to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. More than 100 million workers have accessed this leave to take care of newborns, family members and themselves. As we celebrate FMLA 20 years later, we are also reminded of how far the U.S. still has to go in offering paid leave and fully supporting the needs of children and families. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0059 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0058 Virtually all working parents must rely on some form of child care so they can get and keep their jobs, and it's often a struggle for them to find quality care. Children in low-income households, in particular, stand to benefit from high quality child care and early education. But the realities of the low-income workforce - including non-traditional and varying work schedules - make it particularly challenging to find and afford traditional licensed child care programs. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0058 Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0053 Implementation of paid leave laws in states is a giant step forward. The California and New Jersey laws, although differing in detail, generally allow five to six weeks of partially paid family or medical leave. Unfortunately, many eligible workers are unaware of these laws, which are designed to help them meet their family and health concerns. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0053 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0051 Sprained ankles, back injuries, vomiting, and stomach cancer. These are conditions that many workers without earned sick days silently endure in fear of losing their job if they take a day off work. Every day, poorly paid employees decide between their health and their paychecks, even giving up taking care of their children in order to provide a meal for them that night. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0051 Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0050 The Bureau of Labor Statistics has issued new findings from the American Time Use Survey, known as ATUS. For the first time, ATUS included questions about paid and unpaid leave (and job flexibility) and got answers from workers themselves. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0050 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0049 Every month when the unemployment figures are released, journalists, policymakers, and advocates alike eagerly check to see whether the number has moved up or down. But the unemployment rate is just one indicator of the strength of our labor market. As we celebrate Labor Day, we need to pay attention not just to the number of jobs, but to their quality. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0049 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0048 Many people have heard of Paid Time Off (PTO) banks, but the contours of such policies are often little understood, especially outside the human resources world. To shed light on PTO banks, CLASP and the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) have released a report using Bureau of Labor Statistics data to explore what is known, and what needs more study, about PTO banks. This report is a first step in understanding PTO banks so that further questions about PTO banks and how they affect low-wage workers and their employers can be explored. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0048 Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0047 Mother's Day unifies the nation as we all scurry to find the right Hallmark card, fancy flowers or some proverbial chocolates to honor she who labored us into this world. The treats, however, can't sweeten a bitter fact: our country, while touting that it values families, gives scant evidence of doing so, particularly when it comes to infants and their care. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0047 Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0046 CLASP's implementation guide is a step toward helping employers understand the D.C. paid sick days law, but it is not a substitute for guidance and a public awareness campaign by the D.C. government. CLASP continues to urge the D.C. government to help businesses and workers understand the paid sick days law so that D.C. is a healthier and more productive place to live and work. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0046 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0043 Members of our armed services provide the country an invaluable service, but their families' service to them can sometimes go unrecognized. Yesterday, Michelle Obama joined the Department of Labor to announce new regulations that will, for the first time, make family members caring for veterans eligible for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). With many veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other long-term medical ailments that can reduce a family's financial security, this is an important step in increasing support for military families and their economic - as well as their physical - well-being http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0043 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0040 Paid sick days laws are gaining momentum across the country. Earlier this month, the Philadelphia City Council voted 15 to 2 to add paid sick days to the existing city living wage legislation, and on Oct. 27 the bill became law. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0040 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0039 This week, CLASP and CEPR released a dynamic new tool to help businesses calculate the cost of employee turnover. Turnover can cost employers millions, but many don't have any idea how much their business really spends each year from losing employees. We hope once employers understand the true toll of employee turnover, they'll support expanded work/life policies that improve job quality and that work for their businesses and employees. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0039 Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0034 In Philadelphia, there's a disconnect between public health initiatives and access to care. The reason? Lack of paid time off to get to the doctor to care for chronic conditions. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0034 Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0033 On the job, many Latinos have experienced dangerous workplaces, withheld wages, wage theft, and often work without any paid time off for when they or their family are ill. It's not just workers that suffer, either. These problems harm families, communities, consumers, businesses, government and the economy as a whole. It's a problem that affects all of us, and we need thoughtful, solid policy solutions to improve job quality and expand opportunity for all workers. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0033 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0027 A new report on California's nine-year old paid family leave law shows the program is benefiting the state's workers and with positive or no effect on businesses. Leaves that Pay: Employer and Worker Experiences with Paid Family Leave in California demonstrates the practicality of policies like paid family leave that help low-wage workers balance work and life responsibilities in healthy ways. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_life_and_job_quality&id=0027