Our Latest Blog Posts
Answering Employers’ Questions about PWFA
I just listened to a very good webinar by Constangy’s Brooke Nixon about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Participants submitted many thoughtful questions. I’m going to expand on Nixon’s answers to some of them here. Q: When can medical documentation be requested...
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Handling a Request for Accommodation
I am grateful to HBR for publishing the article I wrote with Liz Morris of the Center for WorkLife Law about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. There is an urgent need to inform employers about the new law because many are unintentionally violating the law. The...
3 PWFA Mistakes Employers Are Already Making – and How to Fix Them
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act hasn’t been in effect for even a year, but already employees are taking legal action alleging that their employers are not in compliance. Three areas that are giving some employers particular trouble arise because they are treating...
When Employees Don’t Have Childcare
I had a wonderful conversation last week with Karla Miller, Washington Post columnist. I have long admired her practical, compassionate, business-forward solutions to the workplace problems of employees and employers. We talked about a question she had received from a...
Introducing Work+Family Insight
I am pleased to introduce to you Work+Family Insight, formerly known as Workforce 21C. We are still HR’s trusted partner for managing today’s changing workforce, providing practical advice and tools and assisting with initiatives to adapt the workplace to new...
How To Know If Your Company Has An FRD Problem
Sometimes it is easy to know if family responsibilities discrimination lurks in your workplace: the company has been sued for pregnancy discrimination or FMLA retaliation or interference with lactation accommodations. Most times, though, it isn’t easy....
3 FRD Mistakes Good Supervisors Make
Family responsibilities discrimination rarely springs from spite and malice. Almost always, as I am quick to point out in FRD prevention trainings, supervisors are trying to do the right thing for their companies and even for their employees when they cross the line...
It is Time to Ditch Primary/Secondary Caregiver Leave Policies
Almost two decades ago, employers began adopting policies that provided paid parental leave to “primary caregivers” and “secondary caregivers.” The policies were an attempt to be more inclusive by providing leave benefits to non-birth parents while at the same time...