Support Systems for Working Families: A Cancer Cabinet Conversation

As part of President Biden's Cancer Cabinet, we hosted a Cancer Moonshot panel last week to share how agencies within the department are protecting and supporting workers affected by cancer.

Our Associate Deputy Secretary of Labor Nikki McKinney kicked things off by highlighting the department's role in enforcing laws and regulations designed to defend workers from cancer-causing hazards and safeguard the financial stability of both patients and caregivers.

Anneka Claypool, science and technology policy fellow from the White House Office of Science and Technology, overviewed President Biden's Cancer Moonshot. The ambitious campaign tackles cancer on multiple fronts, employing a whole-of-government approach to slash the cancer mortality rate by 50% over the next 25 years.

We heard from a variety of representatives from several agencies, each sharing how they're gearing up to support and protect those impacted by cancer.

The Wage and Hour Division's Helen Applewhaite explained how provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) require covered employers to allow workers unpaid leave to care for themselves or a family member with serious health conditions. She introduced materials designed to help patients and caregivers understand their rights and support healthcare providers with the FMLA medical certification process.

Amar Pandya, senior policy advisor at the Mine Safety Health Administration, highlighted the agency's newly finalized rule - Lowering Miners' Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection - aimed at protecting miners from workplace exposures to materials like silica dust that can lead to cancer. He shared some great resources on how miners and their families can learn about the new rule and its implications for mine workers.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration's Amber Rivers shared valuable resources to help individuals seeking benefits navigate their health insurance and ensure they receive coverage for the cancer treatment they need.

Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams talked about the challenges employees with cancer face. She offered insights into how workplaces can adopt better policies that ensure safe and supportive work environments. To the agency, this looks like implementing flexible work schedules and administering reasonable accommodations.

Lastly, the Women's Bureau's Sophia Kerby emphasized the crucial role of the caregiver workforce, particularly domestic workers, who are predominantly women. She highlighted resources on domestic worker agreements, which establish that caretakers understand their rights and supportive services that they are guaranteed.

For more information on the Cancer Moonshot, visit https://whitehouse.gov/cancermoonshot

Joseph Matawaran is a student volunteer serving the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Public Affairs. He is a second-year graduate student at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs working towards his Masters of Public Affairs degree with a concentration in federal policy.

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