ActionPapers

ECONOMIC SUFFICIENCY: WORK-FAMILY

“I wanted to take an extra half hour at lunchtime so I could attend my child’s parent-teacher conference. My job wouldn’t let me go, even if I agreed to make up the time.” - Tiffany Harris, Milwaukee

WHY PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:

Many workers in Wisconsin face obstacles to being involved with their children’s school activities and keeping their jobs.

• A survey of low-income Wisconsin workers revealed that 26% had no paid vacation, 57% had no paid sick leave, and 74% lacked any paid personal leave.¹
• Of parents who had a child scoring in the bottom quartile in math and reading, nearly three quarters could not rely on flexibility at work.²
• More then one in three workers with children in the bottom quartile had held jobs in which they lacked paid sick or vacation leave.³
• When asked if there was an “unwritten rule at my place of employment that you can’t take care of family needs on company time,” 24% of low-wage, low-income parents agreed.⁴
• Taking unpaid leave can drop family incomes below the poverty level.
• Employers rank Leave for School Functions as the work-life program most effective in reducing unscheduled employee absences.⁵
• Family leave policies increase employers’ ability to recruit and retain the best employees, increase productivity and morale, decrease turnover and absenteeism.⁶
• Children whose parents are involved in school-related activities perform better academically, put more effort into their school work, and maintain better concentration at school.⁷
• At least 12 other states (CA, HI, IL, LA, MA, MN, NV, NC, OK, RI, TX, VT) and the District of Columbia already have state parental leave laws.
• People have had to make difficult choices between income and jobs on the one hand, and their child’s education needs on the other. Workers want to support their children and be involved in their education. Being a good parent should never cost you a job.

WHAT: Wisconsin School Conferences and Activities Leave
All educational studies confirm the critical role parental involvement plays in their children’s success in school. This bill:

• Would allow many employees to use up to 16 hours a year of Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave for school conferences and school-related activities.
• Would cover employees who are currently covered under federal or state family medical leave.
• Does not guarantee employee with pay during this leave, but employee may substitute other types of paid leave they may have earned on the job.
• Applies to attendance at school conferences or classroom activities relating to the employee’s child that cannot be scheduled during the nonworking hours. Also includes observing and monitoring day care, preschool, and pre-kindergarten services.

HOW:

• Gather stories from parents and school staffs illustrating the benefit and the need for time off for school activities. Stories can include both positive examples of parents with supportive employers who able to be involved, and instances where parents were unable to leave work to attend an important school event or conference or were disciplined at work for taking time off for a school event or conference.
• Meet with principals, school governance councils and parent-teacher organizations. Explain why we need legislation to support parent involvement in our schools and ask them to join our campaign by writing a letter of support, signing a petition or contacting elected officials.
• Help students share their stories. If you have a child in elementary school, contact the school and ask if you can meet with the fifth grade class to see what they think about this issue. Ask the students if they would like to send letters from their class to elected officials requesting they pass a law that allows parents time off for school activities. Encourage them to share stories of what it has meant for parents to come to an important event – or times their parent has been unable to share a triumph or a problem because they couldn’t get off work. Invite your state representative and senator to meet with the students to hear their views.
• Seek support from community groups. Arrange to meet with groups such as churches, local labor unions, neighborhood associations and advocacy organizations who have an interest in education, families and workers’ rights. Explain why we need the legislation and ask for their support.
• Seek support from progressive business leaders. Point to best practice employers who allow flexibility for their staff. Encourage business owners and managers to describe the benefits they gain from allowing parents time to be involved in school activities.
• Set up visits with elected officials. Use in-person meetings to inform your state representatives about the issue, demonstrate interest among constituents and share stories you’ve gathered. Ask them to support legislation to allow use of WI FMLA for school activities.
• Circulate a petition. Submit the signed petitions to elected officials and/or hold a press conference announcing the broad community support they show for the issue.

CONTACT PERSON:
Amy Stear, 9to5, 414–274–0923,

¹ Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, “Treading water in the New Economy: An Overview of Wisconsin’s Low-Wage Working Families,” 2002: 21.
² Heymann SJ, The Widening Gap: Why America’s Working Families are in Jeopardy and What Can Be Done About It. New York: Basic Books. 2000: 54–55.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Heymann SJ, Boynton-Jarrett R, Carter P, Bond JT, Galinsky, E. Work-Family Issues and Low-Income Families, Making Work Pay in the Low-Income Labor Market, Summer 2002.
⁵ “2003 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey.” CCH Human Resources Group. October 2003.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ “Indicators of Early School Success and Child Well-Being.” Child Trends DataBank. 2003.