ERA joins the California Work and Family Coalition in supporting legislation in 2013 to create fair workplace protections for California’s caregivers:

• Ending Caregiver Discrimination in California: ERA is leading the effort to pass a California bill, SB 404, that would include “familial status” as a protected status under the employment discrimination provisions of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). This bill would clarify that an employer may not discriminate against an employee based on his or her family responsibilities, and would ensure that employers do not base employment decisions on false and discriminatory stereotypes about caregivers as less committed, less capable, or less interested in jobs and advancement. The bill was introduced by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, and is co-sponsored by ERA. .
• Expanding Paid Family Leave To Include Caregiver Benefits for Siblings, Grandparents, Grandchildren, and Parents in Law: This year Senator Jackson  introduced SB 770 to allow workers to receive partial pay through California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program, when they must miss work to care for siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and parents in law. The PFL program, which was the product of an statewide advocacy effort lead by ERA , currently provides partial pay to workers that miss work to care for parents, children, spouses, and domestic partners. The PFL program has been immensely successful in helping California’s traditional caregivers balance their family responsibilities with work. However, the PFL program has excluded a large portion of California’s caregiver population. SB 770 recognizes the reality that extended families and siblings are a crucial source of the caregiving provided to California’s people, and it expands the PFL program to ensure that California’s families receive the caregiving support they need without losing the income they need to survive. The bill is co-sponsored by Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center, and supported by the California Work and Family Coalition.
• Prohibiting Employers from Retaliating Against Employees for Receiving Paid Family Leave Benefits: This year Senator Mark DeSaulnier introduced SB 761 to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees for obtaining or attempting to obtain Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits. The PFL program currently does not protect workers from retaliation by employers for use of the PFL program. The bill thus provides an essential protection for California’s caregivers. Learn more.

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