Parental Leave

Also See

Article: US: Lack of Paid Leave Harms Workers, Children

This article, published by Human Rights Watch, discusses the Human Right Watch Report on how US workers are harmed by weak or nonexistent laws on paid leave, breastfeeding accommodation, and discrimination against workers with family responsibilities.

Article: How Should a Small Business Handle Parental Leave?

This article, from the Harvard Business Review Blog, weighs the pros and cons of having an overarching parental leave policy versus a policy on an individualized basis.

Infographic: Work is Not a Place, It’s a Thing You Do

Infographic detailing statistics of how flexible work programs improve the lives of employees.

Presentation: Formalizing Flexibility – AWP Work Life Convening

Presentation given at the AWP Work-Life Convening on February 7, 2011.

Article: How to Make 100 Organizations in the Same Industry More Flexible – Key Lessons Learned

Article by Cali Yost detailing AWP's Better Work Better Life Initiative and the main lessons learned during the process.

Presentation: Work-Life Fit: A Candid Conversation – Agenda

Agenda for the Work-Life Fit Convening that took place on June 13, 2013 in conjunction with UJA Federation of New York and the JCC Association.

How To: How (And Why) to Cross-Train Employees

Helpful explanation of cross-training, especially for small businesses, to discourage, “That’s not my job” type thinking in your organization and increase overall effectiveness and teamwork.

Video: Work-Life Myths and Realities

A helpful video from a June 2013 convening on work-life fit featuring Anne Weisberg of the FutureWork Institute, Shifra Bronznick of AWP and Sari Ferro, VP for Human Resources at UJA-Federation of New York.

Sample Policy: UJA-Federation of New York – Paid Parental Leave

UJA Federation of New York offers a paid maternity leave policy that meets AWP's "gold standard" by offering up to three months paid leave to mothers who've worked for three years or more.

Sample Policy: JDC – NYHQ – Parental Leave Policy

The JDC New York Headquarters, with more than 100 employees, offers a policy that meets AWP's "gold standard" by offering up to three months paid parental leave to employees who've worked for three years or more.

Report: Better Work, Better Life: Practices and Policies in Jewish Organizations

AWP, in collaboration with JESNA's Berman Center for Research and Evaluation, fielded an online survey to 227 Jewish organizations to evaluate formal work-life policies and/or receptiveness to adopting the policies, including parental leave and flexible work arrangements.

Paid Parental Leave

AWP has joined with advocates nationwide to advocate for paid family leave. The United States remains the only industrialized nation without a paid leave program for employees who need time off to care for a new baby, sick child, spouse or partner in need, or elderly relative.

Better Work Better Life

Build smart, healthy Jewish workplaces: The Better Work, Better Life Campaign aims to improve parental leave and flexible work arrangements in Jewish organizations of every type and size. These work-life policies are critical to advance women professionals, who still carry the majority of personal caregiving and household responsibilities.