Paid Leave, Child Care on Top of Wish List for Working Women (1)

Universal paid leave and affordable child care and housing would ease the pandemic’s economic strain and bring more women back into the workforce, a panel of working-class women told lawmakers at a hearing.

There are no suitable workplace protections in place for women dealing with deaths in the family, the rising costs of gas and groceries, and the growing wave of mental health issues among school-aged children, the women told the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday.

While the Family and Medical Leave Act requires employers to give their workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, the current legislation ...