MENG INTRODUCES LEGISLATION PROMOTING FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE POLICIES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06) announced today that she reintroduced her Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act, which aims to promote a healthier work-life balance for hardworking families in Queens and across the country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents - particularly moms - were forced to leave the workforce in order to meet the unprecedented demands of caregiving, remote schooling, housework, and other family responsibilities. Now, even more women have entered the workforce than before the pandemic, but the commitments they face outside of the workplace remain.

"Parents, and especially mothers, shouldn't have to choose between having a career and raising a family," said Congresswoman Meng. "During the COVID-19 pandemic women left the workforce in record numbers and lagged in returning compared to other demographics. However, the injustices and inequalities women and mothers face in the workforce existed long before the pandemic. My Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act would promote a healthier work-life balance for families in Queens and throughout New York and across the nation. By redesigning and investing in family-friendly workplace policies, we can strengthen the overall wellbeing of our children and families, businesses, and the economy."

This legislation would direct the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to establish a national certification program that recognizes exemplary family-friendly business policies. It would also recognize and incentivize employers who make a commitment to helping employees better juggle their family obligations and work responsibilities.

The certification program is similar to the EPA's ENERGY STAR program (that helps consumers identify energy efficient products) and evaluates 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.

The bill follows the Marshall Plan for Moms, a measure that Meng reintroduced in 2023 that provides a framework to revitalize and restore mothers in the workforce.

The Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act is supported by the National Partnership for Women and Families, Moms First, MomsRising, and the National Asian Pacific American Women's Caucus.

"Business leaders know that when they provide benefits that allow workers to balance their commitment to work with their devotion to family, everyone wins," said Jocelyn C. Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. "This legislation would direct the Department of Labor to award certificates to employers for providing supports such as paid leave and paid sick days, flexible work hours and subsidies for child care. Recognizing businesses for their commitment to helping their employees create that balance between work and family life is critically important, and helps establish a model for others to follow. That's why we support Rep. Meng for her dedication to reintroducing the Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act this Congress."

"The cost of motherhood in the United States is untenable," said Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First. "Our glaring lack of care infrastructure - from paid leave to affordable child care - has placed an unbearable strain on working moms, forcing many to choose between getting a paycheck and caring for their families. Now more than ever, we need the Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act. Thanks to the relentless dedication of Congresswoman Meng, we are on the cusp of a groundbreaking new era of work, one that recognizes and values the indispensable contributions of mothers and caregivers across the nation."

"The work moms do powers families, communities and our economy. But too many working parents are struggling without essential policies including paid family and medical leave, earned sick days, affordable child care, reasonable accommodations and workplace flexibility," said Ruth Martin, Senior Vice President & Chief Workplace Justice Officer at MomsRising. "We can and must do better, and that starts by highlighting what works. MomsRising is proud to support the Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act, which would promote a care infrastructure by recognizing employers with exemplary family-friendly policies. We thank Rep. Meng for championing it."

"Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and other women of color are often pushed out of the workplace or segregated to low wage jobs because of caregiving expectations. This is especially true for Asian American women whose unpaid care is valued at more than $55 billion each year," said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. "The Honoring Family Friendly Workplaces Act will support the care infrastructure our country urgently needs by recognizing employers with inclusive family-friendly policies. NAPAWF is proud to endorse this bill which will move us one step closer to an equitable economy for women and parents."

Now introduced in the House, the Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act must be taken up and passed by the House Committee on Education and Workforce before it can be brought to the House Floor for a vote.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.