"Family-Leave Values"
The New York Times Magazines wrote a piece titled "Family Leave Values" that talks about the numerous lawsuits filed by employees who take unpaid family leave to care for their babies or an elderly parent.
Here's a synopsis provided by the Casey Foundation, which graciously sends me and other journalists a daily list of articles regarding family issues. (And you thought I was a voracious reader who combs dozens of papers 'round the globe each day looking for content for this blog. Oh, if I had the time...)
"Since the mid-1990s, the number of workers who have sued their employers for supposed mistreatment on account of family responsibilities has increased by more than 300 percent. More than 1,150 such lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts, a trend that has not gone unnoticed in the business world. In one case, a jury granted $11.65 million to a hospital maintenance worker who was penalized for having to care for his elderly parents. The flood of such cases – in which plaintiffs have invoked a dizzying array of laws – reflects not just the increased presence of women in the workplace but also the growing difficulty Americans of all social backgrounds seem to be having in balancing the demands of work and family. Unlike so-called 'glass ceiling' cases, these plaintiffs have ranged across the occupational spectrum, from physicians to police officers to grocery clerks. While not all have become millionaires, more than half have prevailed in court, a significant success rate. Beyond causing headaches for their employers, the lawsuits are serving notice that the battle over 'family values' are also about workplace attitudes."
Since we were just comparing America's stingy family-leave benefits to the United Kingdom's generous ones I thought it would be a great follow-up to share with my readers. I haven't read the 11-age article yet, but I trust it will shed some light on the weak protections offered by our federal law and the need to strengthen them.
Here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/magazine/29discrimination-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=magazine&pagewanted=print
Here's a synopsis provided by the Casey Foundation, which graciously sends me and other journalists a daily list of articles regarding family issues. (And you thought I was a voracious reader who combs dozens of papers 'round the globe each day looking for content for this blog. Oh, if I had the time...)
"Since the mid-1990s, the number of workers who have sued their employers for supposed mistreatment on account of family responsibilities has increased by more than 300 percent. More than 1,150 such lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts, a trend that has not gone unnoticed in the business world. In one case, a jury granted $11.65 million to a hospital maintenance worker who was penalized for having to care for his elderly parents. The flood of such cases – in which plaintiffs have invoked a dizzying array of laws – reflects not just the increased presence of women in the workplace but also the growing difficulty Americans of all social backgrounds seem to be having in balancing the demands of work and family. Unlike so-called 'glass ceiling' cases, these plaintiffs have ranged across the occupational spectrum, from physicians to police officers to grocery clerks. While not all have become millionaires, more than half have prevailed in court, a significant success rate. Beyond causing headaches for their employers, the lawsuits are serving notice that the battle over 'family values' are also about workplace attitudes."
Since we were just comparing America's stingy family-leave benefits to the United Kingdom's generous ones I thought it would be a great follow-up to share with my readers. I haven't read the 11-age article yet, but I trust it will shed some light on the weak protections offered by our federal law and the need to strengthen them.
Here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/magazine/29discrimination-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=magazine&pagewanted=print
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