EEOC Issues Best Practices of Workers with Caregiver Responsibilities to Avoid Discrimination
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009 |
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The
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a document on best
practices to avoid discrimination against workers with caregiving
responsibilities, and held a public meeting to discuss the importance
of policies that protect caregivers in an economic downturn.
The
technical assistance document, Employer Best Practices for Workers with
Caregiving Responsibilities, is available online at
http://www.eeoc/policy/docs/caregiver-best-practices.html. The best
practices document supplements Unlawful Disparate Treatment of Workers
with Caregiving Responsibilities, a guidance document issued by the
Commission in 2007. The 2007 guidance, available online at
http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/caregiving.html, examines how federal
anti-discrimination laws apply to workers with caregiving
responsibilities.
EEOC Acting Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru said
the best practices document builds on the Commission's 2007 guidance.
"Today we take another step forward, articulating not just the bare
minimum required to avoid unlawful discrimination, but also thinking
broadly about the ways in which family-friendly workplace policies can
improve workers' ability to balance caregiving responsibilities with
work."
The best practices document provides recommendations for
workplace policies aimed at removing barriers to equal employment
opportunity for workers with caregiving responsibilities. Examples
include personal or sick leave policies that allow employees to use
leave to care for ill family members, flexible work arrangements,
part-time opportunities with proportional compensation and benefits,
and equal-opportunity policies that address unlawful discrimination
against caregivers.
In addition to issuing the new document, the
Commission heard from expert panelists who discussed the importance of
implementing or maintaining caregiver-friendly workplace policies,
particularly during an economic recession.
Heather Boushey,
Senior Economist, Center for American Progress Action Fund, observed:
"The poor economy and lack of job creation means that families will
need to ensure that they do what they can to keep parents working. The
impact of family responsibility discrimination on family well-being is
potentially more devastating than ever before."
Boushey noted
that men have lost four out of five jobs during this recession, leaving
working mothers as many families' sole breadwinners. "Families will
increasingly rely on women's earnings, which are typically lower than
men's and are less likely to come with health insurance," she said.
In
addition to Boushey, panelists included: Cynthia Calvert, Deputy
Director of the Center for WorkLife Law; Karen Minatelli, Director of
Work and Family Programs for the National Partnership for Women and
Families; and Jeff Norris, President of the Equal Employment Advisory
Council.
All panelists' biographies and prepared testimony are
available on EEOC's web site at
http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/meetings/4-22-09/index.html.
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