In honor of Grandparents Day on September 12, the National Partnership for Women and Families has released a new fact sheet to remind us of the impact grandparents can have in the lives of working families.
Grandparents are often relied on as critical support systems to families with both parents in the workforce — to be the babysitters, shuttle to school, or stand-in nurse when a child is sick. But not all grandparents are able to provide care — and some are ailing themselves — putting the economic security of working families at risk when a child or aging parent needs care.
There is no federal law guaranteeing workers job-protected leave when they need to take time off to care for an ailing parent or child. In Washington state the Family Care Act allows workers to use sick leave to care or an ill child or ailing parent, but for the thousands of Washington workers without paid sick leave and their parents, this legislation provides no relief.
This fact sheet makes four recommendations for honoring our nation’s grandparents, and fighting for workplace policies that will strengthen the economic security of all working families.
Washington Work and Family Coalition 