We rely on our congressional leaders to create laws like the groundbreaking Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and increases to federal minimum wage to help make working moms’ lives more manageable. But even family-focused lawmakers don’t always practice in their own offices what they preach publicly. Since it’s up to individual congressional leaders to decide on their own office policies regarding pay, paid leave time and flextime, each office operates much like a small business. Due to the rigorous demands of Capitol Hill, however, meeting the workplace flexibility needs of employees is often the last thing on congressional agendas during a busy legislative session. We launched the Best of Congress awards in partnership with Corporate Voices for Working Families
in Washington, DC, to honor the senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle who sponsor and vote for laws that help working women, advocate for causes important to moms, and establish family-friendly policies for their own employees. Though Senators Clinton, McCain, and Obama may have been a little too busy to get in on the action, of the 535 congressional leaders, 50 chose to apply for this award. Voters, take note.
Click here to download the Comprehensive 2008 Report from Corporate Voices
Click here to learn more about the Acts mentioned
Pictured (from left): Rep. Christopher Shays (CT), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL), Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger (MD), Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (CA), Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (PA), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN), Sen. Herb Kohl (WI), Rep. Russ Carnahan (MO), Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA), Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH), Sen. Johnny Isakson (GA), Sen. Elizabeth Dole (NC), Sen. Gordon H. Smith (OR).
Representative Tom Allen, D-Maine
Staffers 11
Working-mom staffers 5
What we love This six-term congressman and dad of two is a longtime health-care champion.
Flex and Telecommuting Perks Allen knows that personal needs sometimes trump work needs. That’s why his employees have been able to work from home for reasons including bad weather, unexpected child-care issues, home repair, and veterinarian visits, among others. One employee worked at home for about a year while she battled cancer.
Career Crusader Understanding that workplace skills and knowledge can quickly become outdated but continuing education can be expensive, Allen introduced the Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs) Act of 2007.
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