February 13, 2024 11:00 am
Women’s Health & The Workplace
Updates on Legal Protections for Women in the Workplace
Presented by: Attorney Loren Speziale, Esquire
This presentation discusses the legal frameworks at federal, state, and local levels that protect women in the workplace. Key points include:
U.S. Workforce Trends: Highlights that American workers, especially women, often work longer hours with fewer supportive laws compared to other industrialized nations.
State and Local Protections: Details specific laws in Pennsylvania, including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and ordinances in cities like Bethlehem and Allentown that prohibit discrimination based on sex, familial status, and marital status.
Federal Laws: Explores acts such as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related conditions, and the PUMP Act, mandating appropriate spaces and break times for breastfeeding employees.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Outlines provisions allowing employees to take up to 12 weeks of leave for childbirth, adoption, or foster care placement.
Resilience Among Women: Workplace as a Critical Resource
Presented by: Fathima Wakeel, PhD, MPH
Dr. Wakeel examines how workplaces can serve as vital resources in fostering resilience among women. Highlights include:
Impact of Stress on Health: Discusses how chronic stress affects women’s health, leading to issues like pregnancy complications and adverse child health outcomes.
Concept of Maternal Resilience: Introduces a socio-ecological framework, emphasizing that resilience is influenced by factors at individual, interpersonal, community, and systemic levels.
Workplace Stressors: Identifies challenges such as gender pay gaps, lack of promotional opportunities, and inadequate parental leave policies.
Workplace as a Resilience Resource: Suggests strategies like flexible work arrangements, pay equity audits, professional development programs, anti-discrimination policies, and wellness initiatives to enhance women’s health and resilience.