Work & Family Project
The Work & Family Project is dedicated to providing services to workers whose need to take leave to care for their own serious health condition or that of a child, parent, or spouse places them at risk of losing employment. The main goal of the Project is to educate and advise workers and their advocates of the protections of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), as well as other relevant employment laws.
Brief History
Until recently, employers could legally fire a worker who needed time off to care for herself or a seriously ill family member, leaving that worker without income or health insurance in a medical crisis. For low-income workers, a family medical crisis can present an untenable choice between caring for a critically ill family member or keeping a job.
The FMLA and the CFRA were passed to provide job-protected, unpaid leave for workers who need time off to care for themselves or their family members when a serious illness strikes, or to care for a new child. In addition, employers are required to continue the employee’s health care benefits during the leave, and employees are entitled to return to the same or an equivalent job after their leave.
Unfortunately, this important new protection has yet to become a reality for low-wage workers, due in part to the widespread lack of information at all levels of the medical, health care, and business sectors.
Project Services
Legal advice and counseling: The project provides individualized assistance and legal counseling to workers via the Work & Family Project Information Line (toll-free in California 800-880-8047 or 415-593-0033 outside of California).
Community outreach and education: The project offers workshops and training for workers, health care providers, and advocates to learn about strategies to protect the rights of poor families who are grappling with the conflicting demands of work and family. The Work & Family Project produces fact sheets and other reference materials (in English, Spanish, and Chinese) that are available to inform workers of their rights under the FMLA and the CFRA.
Litigation: The Project is committed to litigating cases which we believe will develop favorable case law under the FMLA and the CFRA.
Legislative advocacy: The Project participates in legislative efforts on the federal and state levels that expand the rights of workers to take family and medical leave.