California's New Governor Prioritizes Family Leave

Governor Newsom has just proposed the longest family leave in the nation.

And, it's about time! 

Equality
Not only does Governor Newsom's proposal expand existing leave for dads, it also incorporates benefits for non-traditional families. Under this plan, each parent/caregiver would be entitled to three months of paid leave, for a combined total of six months. This is an improvement of current policy, which restricts the majority of leave - and childcare responsibilities - to birth moms. When men [and secondary parents] also have - and take - family leave, gender equality grows both at home and in the workplace. This is good news for children, parents, and employers alike.

Health
Public health and economic research shows that providing up to six months of paid parental leave—the norm in most developed countries—leads to positive health and educational outcomes for children, [and] greater economic security for parents...reports Newsweek. Countries incorporating longer leave policies have already shown they are paying dividends far into the future.

Support
While California's current Paid Family Leave benefits are employee-funded, many employers are already pitching in additional resources - and Americans support that. Approximately 80% of Democrats AND Republicans are already in favor of employer-funded paid leave. Working Mother's 2018 list of the 100 Best Companies shows what's possible: an average of 11 fully paid parental leave weeks, back-up childcare, flexible work arrangements, and fertility/surrogacy support.

Happiness
Expanding paid leave should bring a smile to everyone's face. After studying happiness levels in 22 countries, sociologists found the biggest happiness predictor to be the presence of family policies making it less stressful and less costly [to] combine childrearing with paid work. And such policies seemed to increase the happiness level of childless individuals as well.

Family Leave is a win for everyone.

Tell Governor Newsom you support his proposal.

For more stats in support of family leave, check out this presentation created by TAG's own Family Leave Subcommittee.

#newsom #familyleave #california #animationisfamily

FORD leads the industry with improved Parental Leave - Personal Days - Wellness Policies

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

During this 1st week of 2019 we're highlighting

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

for it's newly improved 

parental & personal leave & wellness policies.

But Ford makes cars, you say. What's that got to do with animation? Here in the Family & Personal Leave Subcommittee, we read press releases from employers across the United States to follow trends in family & personal leave and wellness. When we see an industry standard begin to shift, we take note. When a policy improves for union workers, we downright celebrate! With improved corporate wellness policies in 2017 and 2018, and union negotiations just around the corner, we're following the trend at Ford.

Here's the scoop for Ford employees in 2019:

Wellness at work - Employees now benefit from yoga on campus, quiet rooms for prayer or meditation, and ergonomic workstations.

Flexible sick leave - Now all 10 sick days can be used for personal leave, too. This includes caring for a sick child or family member or for attending personal appointments. No restrictions. (Note: TAG's Negotiation Committee proposed flexible sick days/personal days to the AMPTP in 2018.)

Flexible work schedules for new parents - Now when new parents return to salaried work at Ford, they'll have the option of working part-time at full pay for their first month back. This adjustment period will support worker wellness, as well as company production.

Fully paid parental leave - Salaried employees now receive 8 fully paid weeks of parental leave, with birth moms receiving an additional 6-8 weeks of fully paid disability leave. (Note: TAG's Negotiation Committee proposed fully paid leave to the AMPTP in 2018.)

In an interview with Fortune, chief human resources officer Kiersten Robinson shared Ford's primary goal: What was really important to us was that the leave provision applied to both men and women. We wanted to make sure that everyone felt as though this was a priority and they had the flexibility to take this time with their new family.

Hourly employees are next in line. Improved policies are under consideration for the next time the automaker negotiates its collective bargaining agreement with the United Automobile Workers union, said Julie Lavender, Ford’s director of personnel relations and employee policies. Ford executives and labor affairs are already discussing how they might adapt the policy to hourly workers by adding to union members’ medical leave time off and offering the one month “ramp-up” period back to work. 

It's about wellness, says Ford. 

These improved policies signify a shift from offering just a standard health plan to a more holistic approach focused on individual well-being.

#animationisfamily #familyleave #ford #union #collectivebargaining #labor #health #family