News
Eugene says YES to paid sick days!
Something BIG happened in Eugene last night, and we think you’ll be as elated as we are about it. After many months of discussion and community input, the Eugene City Council voted 5 to 3 to pass a paid sick days ordinance that will apply to every person who works in Eugene, starting July 1, 2015.
Great Ideas @ Work | Newsletter for Employers | Summer 2014
Welcome to our Summer 2014 Great Ideas @ Work Newsletter! From our national partners to our local colleagues, there is lots to share and learn about flexibility right now. Enjoy — and pass on to your friends and co-workers! Happy Summer.
White House Summit on Working Families | June 23, 2014
On June 23, 2014, the White House Council on Women and Girls, the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Center for American Progress (CAP) will hosted a Summit on Working Families to focus on creating a 21st century workplace that works for all Americans. Workplaces that make full use of the talented pool of American workers are essential – to a thriving and healthy economy, to enable businesses to stay competitive in today’s global economy, and to help all workers ensure the economic stability of their families.
Briefing: Women’s Economic Agenda
On June 23, 2014, the White House Council on Women and Girls, the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Center for American Progress (CAP) will host a Summit on Working Families to focus on creating a 21st century workplace that works for all Americans. You’re invited to join us in Portland on June 11, 2014 to learn about new polling and these issues and the local, state and national efforts to improve our work-family policies. RSVP to andrea@familyforwardoregon.org.
Because when women succeed, America succeeds!
Get Trained to Volunteer with FFO!
Announcing: An opportunity to get more involved with our work at Family Forward Oregon! We’re hosting a volunteer training later this month and want you to be there. We’re looking for volunteers to help us with a range of jobs, including outreach, advocacy, and more. It’s a great way to get off the sidelines – and we really hope you can make it.
10 Things to Know About Equal Pay
As Equal Pay Day approaches (the day this year when women have finally earned what their male counterpart earned last year), the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) put together this great top-10 list of facts to know about equal pay in Oregon. See all 10 here.
What is a flexible workplace, exactly?
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about flexible workplaces. But what is a flexible workplace, exactly? And why should we care? Find out here.
Making Childcare More Affordable
We spoke up in Salem for more affordable childcare this year — and we got it!
And it’s just the beginning of what we have in mind for creating a childcare system that actually works for the people who need childcare (parents!) and the people who provide it (childcare workers!). And yes, the children who attend it.
Overwhelmed? Meet the Author!
We’re excited to be hosting a great author event with author Brigid Schulte in a few weeks. In her new book, “Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time,” Schulte, a Washington Post reporter and Portland native, takes a close look at our culture of overwork – especially how it affects working parents. She dives deep into the “why” behind what she calls “the overwhelm” (worthy of a noun!) and searches for ways to solve it — in our public policies and personal lives.
Not surprisingly, her proposed solutions include policy changes like affordable childcare, paid family leave, and paid sick days, among other common-sense work-family policies that Family Forward Oregon is advocating for here in Oregon.
On Ramping Workshop | March 18th
We’re hosting a “how to” workshop for On Rampers, including a panel discussion and two break-out sessions, one on resumé writing and one on interviewing skills. And some conversation about just getting started – which can feel like the hardest part! Plus coffee and connections with others, of course.
FMLA was a good first step, but it’s time for a leap
When Janet’s second baby was born she took a seven-week unpaid maternity leave made possible by the now 21-year-old Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Seven weeks. It’s all she could afford. Just the week before she returned to work Janet hemorrhaged due to a retained placenta and lost a third of her blood. She was weak and needed more time at home to recover, but she just couldn’t afford to be away from work any longer.