Key Laws & Protections
This 1963 law made it illegal to pay men and women differently for the same or substantially similar work.
What is the Equal Pay Act?
Some employers wrongly believe women will be less focused at work because of this part of their lives.
What is having a family (or having children)?
This term refers to education, skills, and experience that increase an employee’s value and earnings.
What is human capital?
Compared to men, women are more likely to work this type of schedule.
What is part-time work?
Most caregivers for elderly relatives are this gender.
Who are women?
This federal law protects employees from discrimination based on pregnancy and requires pregnancy to be treated like other temporary medical conditions.
What is the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)?
The advantage men often receive in pay and promotions after becoming fathers is called this.
What is the fatherhood premium?
Studies show employees who take leaves of absence are less likely to receive these afterward.
What are promotions or salary increases?
Women are less likely to be working when their children are this young.
What is under age 3?
Research shows that family-friendly organizations experience higher levels of this from employees.
What are loyalty, commitment, or job satisfaction?
This law allows eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for family or medical reasons.
What is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
The negative impact on women’s pay and career advancement after having children is known as this.
What is the motherhood penalty?
Even when employers say they support work–family balance, employees who take leave often still experience this at work.
What is a negative career impact (or career penalty)?
Women are most likely to be working when their children are in this age range.
What is ages 6 to 17?
Women are more likely to take family leave not because of gender, but because they usually earn this.
What is lower pay (or lower wages)?
This act extended the time period in which employees can sue for wage discrimination, recognizing pay secrecy in organizations.
What is the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act?
Employers commonly expect women to do this after having children, while expecting men to increase their work effort.
What is reducing work hours (or cutting back at work)?
After taking family leave, employees are often viewed by employers as this.
What is less committed to their jobs?
Some workers do not know their work schedule far in advance. This problem is called this.
What is unpredictable scheduling?
A solution that helps employees care for family members while keeping their jobs is this type of leave.
What is paid family or parental leave?
This 2023 law requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations.
What is the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act?
Research shows pregnant women face the most hostility when applying for jobs that are stereotypically viewed as this type.
What are masculine-typed jobs?
The first U.S. state to offer paid family leave beginning in 2004 was this state.
What is California?
When work hours change a lot from week to week, it creates this problem for workers.
What is schedule instability?
Organizations can help employees balance work and family by offering support for this major need of working parents.
What is childcare (or childcare assistance)?