Category: Uncategorized
New Report! Evaluating Paid Sick Time in Portland
In January Family Forward Oregon released a report with the Center for American Progress, Evaluating Paid Sick Time: Social, Economic and Health Implications for Portland. In the report, we discuss public health risks, social and community risks, impacts on children’s health and education, how employers are affected by paid sick time, and we take a close look at the San Francisco experience since their paid sick time policy has been in place since 2007. This report is for anyone interested in working family policies, public health, high-road economies, and modernizing workplace policies to really work for families.
Download the full report here: Evaluating Paid Sick Time: Social, Economic and Health Implications for Portland.
Portland proposes sick time policy
In the midst of an intense flu season and a growing number of local norovirus outbreaks, Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz has proposed a solution to a community problem that puts every Portlander’s health at risk, reduces workplace productivity, and affects the economic security of working Portlanders (and the families they support) who aren’t allowed […]
“Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price” Film Screening + Community Conversation
Join us on Sunday, April 14th @ 2 PM to watch and discuss the film Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price.
This documentary film features the deeply personal stories and everyday lives of families and communities struggling to survive in a Wal-Mart world where workers rights are dwindling, local businesses are struggling, and shoppers prefer low prices to good products and practices. About the film. (2005)
2012 was a big year for FFO!
We accomplished a lot in 2012! Here’s a smattering of our great work together: Workplace Flexibility: We hosted our second annual Great Ideas @ Work luncheon, where we honored 25 Oregon employers for modernizing their workplaces to make work work in today’s economy, for today’s families. We also awarded the second annual Family Forward Leadership Award to a true […]
NEW REPORT: Paid Sick Days
The Center for American Progress released a new fact sheet on the need for paid sick days in the United States in August, 2012. The report authors point out how our outdated work and family policies aren’t working for today’s families. Read the full post here.
2012 National Paid Leave Summit
We were recently in Washington, DC representing Oregon at the National Summit on Paid Sick Days and Paid Family Leave, a productive event hosted by two of our strong national partners: the National Partnership for Women & Families and the team at Family Values @ Work. Read more here.
Let’s talk about mothers & work!
We’re hosting a conversation about work and family next week in Portland and we want you to join us! We were inspired by Anne-Marie Slaughter’s recent article in The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” (and the many, many responses to it), because she raises some important questions about mothers and work in the U.S. that we grapple with often. She also makes some very critical points about how and why our workplace and public policies aren’t in sync with today’s families.
The way we see it, our dark-age family policies prevent too many mothers from remaining financially stable, engaging with their children, and reaching leadership positions (where we need them!). Great fodder for a hearty conversation!
Read more about the event here.
Our thoughts on Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article in The Atlantic
Anne-Marie Slaughter’s recent article in The Atlantic about the structural barriers to mothers truly succeeding (and even surviving) in the workplace, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” was like a lit match touched to a fuse. To any mother in America today, it’s obvious why: day in and day out we are forced to decide what’s more important: our work (and the financial security it brings our families) or our kids. The result ranges from poverty and inequality to under-parented kids to a real lack of women leaders in American business and government. Keep reading here.
NPR Airs Story on Working Mom Conundrum
The recent brouhaha in the national news media around Ann Romney’s work as a stay-at-home mother of five has yielded some excellent commentary that – happily – reaches far behind the old “mommy wars.” Because today’s mothers know that there are much more important issues at stake, ranging from the high cost of child care to lack of workplace flexibility and paid time off to care for sick family members. Plus, most of us do stints of paid and unpaid work throughout our time as mothers, so the divide is no longer relevant (if it ever was).
Take a minute (or 4) to listen to this excellent NPR story on the challenges of working mothers in the United States – it’s another positive outcome of last week’s hullaballoo.
2011 Winning Workplaces
We know that creating a family-forward workplace takes courage and leadership. We also know that Oregon families – and businesses – do better when workplaces are flexible. And in the 21st century, it’s THE way to work. That’s why, each year, we bring the When Work Works Award (formerly known as the Sloan Award) to […]