skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, April 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

At least 4 killed in Oklahoma tornado outbreak; 10 shot outside Florida bar; AZ receives millions of dollars for solar investments; Maine prepares young people for climate change-related jobs, activism; Feds: Grocery chain profits soared during and after a pandemic.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Ukraine receives much-needed U.S. aid, though it's just getting started. Protesting college students are up in arms about pro-Israel stances. And, end-of-life care advocates stand up for minors' gender-affirming care in Montana.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

More rural working-age people are dying young compared to their urban counterparts, the internet was a lifesaver for rural students during the pandemic but the connection has been broken for many, and conservationists believe a new rule governing public lands will protect them for future generations.

Connecticut Ranks High in Supports for Working Families

play audio
Play

Monday, June 23, 2014   

HARTFORD, Conn. – Connecticut had some of the earliest protections in place for working parents among all the states, and continues to break new ground.

Vicki Shabo is vice president at the National Partnership for Women and Families, which has just released a report, "Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help New Parents."

She says Connecticut's Family and Medical Leave Act and workplace accommodations, both for pregnant women and nursing mothers, are some of the laws that gave the Nutmeg State a B-plus ranking, going beyond the federal protections that are in place.

"And Connecticut is the only state in the nation to have a paid sick day law, which guarantees some workers in service industries the ability to earn paid sick time," she points out.

Workers can use sick days to care for themselves or their family members.

But, as today's White House Summit on Working Families convenes, advocates in the state say there’s a lot more to do.

Christine Palm, communications director with the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, says Connecticut was the first state to pass a Family and Medical Leave Act, which became a model for the federal law.

Now she says advocates are working on an expansion of the act to provide an insurance plan.

"So that when a person – man or woman – has to leave work to take care of a child, an elder or even for his or her own health care, they will actually get some paid remuneration, and it's partially self-funded," she explains.

Ellen Shemitz, executive director of Connecticut Voices for Children, says another plus for Connecticut is the state's Earned Income Tax Credit.

"That is a critical support for low and middle income working families,” she stresses. “And just like those workforce protections, it ensures that families with one or two working parents are able to make ends meet."

Shemitz says the next steps are to duplicate the federal child tax credit in the state, and to index the state's minimum wage, which is scheduled to rise to $10.10 by 2017, to inflation.

One big reason California won its top ranking is that its Family and Medical Leave Act provides for six weeks of paid time off for parents to welcome a new child by birth or adoption.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
Some groups see disproportionately high rates of suicide, including veterans, racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ people. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Rates of suicide among young people have increased by about 36% in roughly the last two decades and the surge has caught the attention of federal poli…


play sound

Members of Nebraska's LGBTQ+ community and their supporters saw positive actions at both the state and federal level this month. At the state level…

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri residents are gaining new insights into the powerful role of food in health care as experts and organizations advocate for a shift toward foo…


New Mexico is the second sunniest state in the nation after Arizona, creating maximum opportunities for solar development. (KristinaBlokhin/AdobeStock)

Environment

play sound

New federal funding aims to revolutionize solar energy access within New Mexico's Native American communities and benefit the state overall. The …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Nevada health-care providers, patients and advocates are responding to the U.S. Supreme Court case that'll determine the future of the Emergency …

Environment

play sound

A Knoxville-based environmental group is advocating for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act expansion, currently awaiting House approval…

Environment

play sound

State officials in Maine are preparing the next generation for climate change-related activism and careers. A new state-run website helps young …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021