PathWays PA Policy Blog

Two in three kids will get sick every year and require at least one day off from school. However, 52% of parents do not have access to paid sick time to care for their children. So what does that mean? That means that children go to school sick. This releases a slew of health issues. Other children, educators, and administrators are now in contact with highly infectious diseases. In addition, the child will probably not recover within the regular time frame. Studies show that healthy children are more focused and have fewer behavioral problems. There are many terrible accounts from educators about children coming to school sick. “I work at an elementary school. I have seen many children come to school so sick they could hardly stand, some even with fevers. When we would offer to send them to the office, the children would often cry and beg not to be sent home because they had already been told by their mom or dad that they could not miss work because they could not afford it. Kids ...

Women make up half of America’s workforce. Two-thirds of America’s caregivers are female. Does the math not add up? Wait until you see the numbers on their access to sick time. 43% of female workers in the private sector do not have any paid sick time. 54% of working women have no paid time to care for themselves or their children. 82% of women earning under $8.25 an hour do not have one minute of sick time. When mothers try to care for their children, 42% find that they are unable to because they must work. Only 27% of daughters could take care of their parents. One in five women say that either they or someone they know has been fired or disciplined for taking time off to either recover from an illness or injury or to care for a family member. The hardest hit are women of color. More often than not, colored families have a woman as their main breadwinner. Many low-income families are of color, and 3.5 days of missed pay could mean a month without groceries. Job loss is devastati...

PathWays PA has compiled an extensive list of programs that can meet the needs of many Pennsylvania residents in our updated Financial Resources Guide . This easy-to-use guide can help anyone find the programs they need and includes information on who qualifies for the program and how to apply. The Financial Resources Guide includes links for people who need help paying for childcare, finding health insurance, and much more. There is also contact information listed by county in our County Help Chart . Please let us know what you think! Interested in PathWays PA blog posts on similar topics? 7/7/15 - Summer Food News 9/4/14 - Jobs Are Returning, But Hunger Remains 7/13/13 - PA Agency Offers Food Aid to Low-Income Children

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has released the 2015 edition of their guide , "The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap." Since the 1970s, when women's annual earnings were only 57% of men's annual earnings for full-time workers, the gender pay gap has narrowed, due in part to women's advances in education and workforce participation. Still, in 2013 women were only making 78% of men's earnings and, in the past decade, the pay gap has barely budged. After accounting for college major, occupation, economic sector, hours worked, months unemployed since graduation, GPA, type of undergraduate institution, institution selectivity, age, geographical region, and marital status, AAUW found that only one year after graduation there was a 7% difference in the earnings of male and female college graduates that could not be explained . This gap only increases with time and age. Women also experience other barriers in the workforce, such as the...

The U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will host an online webinar on employment protections for older workers on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Register  here Speakers: Lucia Bruce, U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau, Regional Administrator, Regions 3 and 4 Mary Tiernan, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Program Analyst Interested in PathWays PA blog posts on similar topics? 11/10/14 - Join Us in Building Assets in Pennsylvania! 9/8/14 - PathWays PA Launching "Second Act" Employment Training! 7/11/2013 - 2014 RSVP Competition Has Begun!

PathWays PA invites you to join a statewide coalition focused on addressing the needs of low-income Pennsylvanians and the policies that can help them build assets and resources. This coalition will be part of the nationwide Assets and Opportunities Network, a movement-oriented group of advocates, practitioners, policymakers, and others nationwide working to expand the reach and deepen the impact of asset-based strategies. Network members are on the frontlines of state and local policy advocacy, coalition-building and service delivery. RSVP to join us or to learn more during our interactive webinar December 2! As you may know, PathWays PA is an active, known presence in the areas of policy and advocacy in Pennsylvania. We welcome the opportunity to work with your organization to build a strong, vibrant coalition that will play a key role in creating asset opportunities for your clients and for families throughout the state. The goal is to create a statewide effort, encompassing ...

From our friends at CLASP Register now for three national audio conferences on job scheduling! Job schedules matter in many ways. For all workers, it helps when an employer is responsive to a request for a needed schedule change. And far too many workers have volatile and potentially destabilizing schedules. If you don't know when you are supposed to be at work until the last minute, how do you arrange child care or transportation? If your total hours fluctuate from week to week, how do you budget for rent and food? To address these issues and emerging policy opportunities, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is hosting and sponsoring three Job Schedules Matter audio conferences. The conferences, which are co-sponsored by the Center for Popular Democracy and the National Women's Law Center, will include comments from U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman George Miller on why they introduced the Schedules that Work Act. You'll also hear from workers abo...

From our friends at the National Skills Coalition (NSC) This week, the Senate has passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) , which reauthorizes the the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. WIA is more than 11 years overdue for reauthorization. Organizations who support workforce training programs applaud the Senate for taking an important step to modernize our nation’s workforce system and ensure that all U.S. workers and businesses have access to the skills they need to succeed in today’s economy. WIOA could come up for a vote when the House returns from the Fourth of July recess.

PathWays PA is excited to announce that we will be partnering with the U. S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau, The Free Library of Philadelphia and the EEOC for a discussion on women and the workplace. The event will take place on Monday, May 5, from 2:00PM-4:00PM in room 108 of the Philadelphia Free Library Parkway Central Branch located at 1901 Vine Street. Topics to be discussed include: Equal Pay  Paid Leave  Compensation/Wages Negotiation  Register for the event by calling the Women's Bureau at 215-861-4864 or sign up online . All attendees will receive a negotiation checklist to take home with them. PathWays PA actively advocates for equal protections in the workplace, equal pay and paid leave on the local, state and national levels.

From our friends at MomsRising  It is legal in Pennsylvania for an employer to ask you if you are a mom during a job interview. Then, that information could potentially keep you from getting the job. The fact is that maternal profiling is alive and well in Pennsylvania and it is time for it to stop. Tell your Pennsylvania State legislators that employment discrimination against mothers is wrong. A bill (HB 1984) has been introduced in the Pennsylvania State House that would prohibit employers from inquiring about maternal or marital status in a job interview. The state legislators need to hear that there is wide support for this important legislation! Contact your Pennsylvania State legislators and ask them to do everything they can to pass a bill that will protect moms!

From our friends at the National Women's Law Center Gabriela worked as a bartender and server. She alleged that her supervisor frequently pulled her close to his body, gave her hugs and grabbed her by the arms. He also made sexual comments, like "I can't wait to have you," "You are mine," "You would like to go out with an older man like me," "You look hot today," and "Where do you live so I can pick you up?" Have you gone through something similar to Gabriela? Have you experienced any of the following at your job: Unwelcome sexual advances Requests for sexual favors Suggestive remarks The display of pornographic materials If your answer is yes, you may have experienced sexual harassment at work. You're not alone. A national poll says 25 percent of women and 9 percent of men have been sexually harassed at work. Anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and weight loss are just a few of the problems they experie...

From our friends at the Coalition on Human Needs  PHI (Paraprofessional Health Institute) and NELP (National Employment Law Project) are offering a webinar tomorrow at 2:00PM to explain and answer questions about the final rule extending minimum wage and overtime protections to home care and the impact it will have for home care workers, services and the industry. Sign up to join here  On December 9th at 3:00PM Direct Service Workforce Resource Center at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will host an additional webinar to explain the features of the recently updated PHI State Data Center , the first web-based tool to provide comprehensive, state-by-state profiles of the direct-care workforce. The latest state-by-state wage, employment, and demographic data available on nursing home aides, home health aides, and personal care aides is readily available on the site, as well as information on legislation/regulation and notable initiatives in each state. Re...

Tomorrow, July 17, beginning at 1PM join the PA Conference for Women for this month's radio broadcast that is designed to give you the tools you need to successfully manage relationships with your coworkers.  During this broadcast host Sam Ettus and guest Marie Peeler will share insights that will help you learn how to develop meaningful, supportive and successful relationships and build influence and deepen effectiveness with co-workers. Click here to register and learn more.