BEANTOWN GOES FOR PAID FAMILY LEAVE

In this corner, your job. In the other corner, your new baby, your ill parent, your injured spouse. Which do you choose? If you work for the city of Boston, you won't have to choose, not anymore.

The Boston City Council has unanimously voted for 6 weeks of paid leave for its non-union employees. State legislators plan to expand this plan via state-wide legislation in the coming months. If they are successful, Massachusetts will join California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island as the only states with maternity and paternity leave and paid time off for other family care emergencies. Wouldn't that be wicked good?

NEW YORK STATE PROTECTS PREGNANT WORKERS

The New York Assembly put an equal pay law  on its books in April, and now passed legislation protecting pregnant workers and banning discrimination against family caregivers at work.  PowHerNY has a comprehensive policy plan to bring equality to women in the state. So far, so good.

FEMININE DOMESTIC PRODUCT  

Ever heard of the Feminine Domestic Product? It's kind of like GDP, only with lots more estrogen.  According to Vitamin W, "Dollars make change. The point of growing the #FDP is so women can create prosperity, and with that, we can donate to women's nonprofits and to candidates who promote a woman-friendly agenda of paycheck fairness, sick leave, and even paid maternity leaves. In fact, many women-owned companies have a built-in social impact-sharing proceeds with favored non-profits." I did my bit today -- my all-female primary care practice referred me to an all-female audiologist office, who then referred me to a group of all-female ENT specialists. Your turn!