Booker, Kim Reintroduce Legislation to Stop Employers From Punishing Workers Who Care for Their Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) are fighting to make sure no one loses their job for taking care of an aging parent, a sick child, or a loved one with a disability. During National Family Caregivers Month, Booker and Kim reintroduced the Protecting Family Caregivers from Discrimination Act , which would make it illegal for employers to fire, demote, refuse to hire, or otherwise punish workers because of their caregiving responsibilities. The bill would close a gap in federal law that leaves many working caregivers unprotected when they face discrimination on the job. "No one should have to choose between keeping their job and caring for the people they love," said Senator Booker. "Millions of Americans put in a full day at work and then go home to care for an aging parent, a child with a serious illness, or a family member with a disability. Too many of them are fired, demoted, or passed over simply for being caregivers. That's wrong. Almost every one of us will be a caregiver at some point in our lives, and this bill makes sure that doing right by your family never costs you your livelihood." Nearly 2 million New Jerseyans, more than one in four adults in the state, are family caregivers, and 75 percent of them work while providing care, according to AARP New Jersey. Nationwide, 63 million Americans are family caregivers, and six in 10 are employed, according to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. Yet federal law does not explicitly protect workers from discrimination based on their caregiving responsibilities. The Protecting Family Caregivers from Discrimination Act would: Prohibit employers from firing, demoting, mistreating, refusing to hire, or taking other adverse action against workers because of their family caregiving responsibilities. Bar retaliation against workers who seek to enforce these protections. Establish a grant program to help prevent and combat caregiver discrimination. "We applaud Sen. Booker for his leadership combatting workplace discrimination against caregivers. No one should be punished at work just because they have family caregiving responsibilities at home. Women make up the majority of caregivers in this country and addressing discrimination on the job is a key way to reduce gender inequality. Especially during an affordability crisis, losing a paycheck--or even your job--is devastating for families. We can improve workers' financial security at the same time we drive up our economy by passing this critical legislation" said Elizabeth Gedmark, Vice President at A Better Balance. "For far too long, working women have carried the impossible burden of balancing family caregiving with their job responsibilities," said Lauren Khouri, Senior Director of Workplace Equality at the National Women’s Law Center. "Even though family caregiving provides an essential benefit to our communities, caregivers—especially women—continue to suffer unfair workplace discrimination. The Protecting Family Caregivers from Discrimination Act is vital legislation that safeguards the employment rights of individuals delivering critical support across America. Protecting caregivers is an indispensable step toward building equitable workplaces that support everyone." The legislation is endorsed by: The Center for WorkLife Law, National Employment Law Project, The National Alliance for Caregiving, The Caregiver Action Network, The National Women’s Law Center, A Better Balance, National Partnership for Women & Families, The Arc of the United States, California Women’s Law Center, Main Street Alliance, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), and Legal Momentum. The full text of the bill is available here.