Many union leaders say the Biden White House has delivered on its promises. But its handling of a freight rail dispute has given rise to detractors.
Tag Archives: Paid Time Off
The Rail Strike Is a Chance For Biden to Prove He Really Is a Pro-Union President
The president’s pro-labor reputation doesn’t mean much if he isn’t willing to stand firm when unions need White House support.
Congress Is Trying to Avert a Rail Strike. Here’s How and Why
President Biden called on Congress to pass legislation to head off a holiday-season rail strike, warning that a disruption to service could cause dire economic damage.
Some Rail Workers, Seeking Sick Days, Say Biden Betrayed Them
The request for Congress to impose contract terms that several unions had rejected rankled rank-and-file members who had rallied behind the president.
House Moves to Avert a Rail Strike
The House was poised to approve a bill to impose a tentative agreement that President Biden helped broker earlier this year and a separate measure to add seven days of paid leave, a key demand of rail workers.
Key Union Votes Down Freight Rail Contract, Making Strike More Likely
The tentative agreement, brokered in September with help from the Biden administration, had averted a strike before the midterm elections.
For Rail Workers, Anger Persists Over Sick Leave
A tentative new contract brokered by the White House offered employees one day off, leaving some dissatisfied and raising the risk of another impasse.
Railroad Workers Point to Punishing Schedules as Cause of Strike
Employees say the inflexibility of scheduling upended their personal lives. The companies say they maintained service while using fewer resources.
What We Know About the Railroad Labor Deal
A tentative deal could avert a strike by tens of thousands of rail workers, breaking an impasse in negotiations over sick time and working conditions.
Is the Remote Work Revolution Flopping, Succeeding or Both?
Anne Helen Petersen and Charlie Warzel discuss how the great retreat from office life could make work better for everyone.
Is it OK to Work on Vacation? Yes, If You Do it Right.
The boundaries between work and life are already blurred. If you embrace that reality, you can make it work to your advantage.
How Covid Did Away With the Sick Day
Some workers have no choice but to clock in. Others find the flexibility of remote work leads them to log in from their sick beds.
Omicron Reveals the Need for Better Sick Leave
A new normal around staying home while sick is impossible in America.
Goldman’s Move to Unlimited Vacation Is Good for … Goldman
Goldman Sachs is the latest company to let workers take as much time off as they want. That means no more unused days — and no need to pay them out later.
All of Those Quitters? They’re at Work.
The Great Resignation was in fact a moment many people traded up for a better-paying gig.
After Roe, Republicans Should Embrace These Family-Friendly Policies
The movement that describes itself as pro-life must encompass a broader vision of policy than just prohibiting access to abortion.
A Key to Returning to Normal Is Paid Sick Leave, Democrats Say
There were a record number of people home sick with Covid in January. Democrats are trying to revive paid pandemic sick leave.
Parents of Kids Under 5 Are Demoralized
Disrupted daycare, vaccines TBD and bosses who are over Covid excuses.
When the Boss Says to Chillax
No executives want to see their staff burn out — and some are starting to take mandatory vacations as seriously as they take their work.
Architects Are the Latest White-Collar Workers Drawn to Unions
Saying they are overworked and underpaid, architects at a prominent New York firm want to unionize. Others could follow.
Covid Etiquette: Don’t Come to a Holiday Party With a Cough
Even if your chest cold, stomach bug or swollen sinuses are not coronavirus-related, step away from the mulled cider until you are healthy.
‘We Finally Have Something to Celebrate’: The Infrastructure Bill Is Signed
Readers hail the $1 trillion bill but bemoan the partisanship and worry about online scams. Also: Paid family leave; court logjam; food deliveries.
Sure, Biden’s Plan Costs a Lot of Money. But the Price of Inaction Is Higher.
Tell Senator Manchin that failing to deliver is more than we can afford.
Hindu Sect, BAPS, Accused of Using Forced Labor at Temples Across U.S.
BAPS, a prominent sect, faces accusations of exploiting low-caste laborers from India to run massive temples around the country.
Dads Need to Start Shouting About Paid Leave
Moms have been telling their stories alone for too long.
Paid Family Leave Is Good for Everyone
Taking time off from work when a baby is born is essential for mothers and fathers.
Facing Moderate Revolt, Democrats Put Social Policy Bill on Hold
Leaders pressed for a vote on a separate infrastructure bill, but the fate of both measures was in doubt amid party divisions, despite pleas from President Biden.
A Dose of Optimism About Mothers at Work
The economist Claudia Goldin has hope for the future.
House Democrats Revive Paid Leave Program, Ignoring Manchin’s Concerns
The House plans to add a provision to provide four weeks of federally paid family and medical leave to their social policy bill, but it is all but certain to be jettisoned by the Senate.
Why Paid Family Leave’s Demise This Time Could Fuel It Later
In failing to secure a benefit with bipartisan appeal, President Biden joins a long line of frustrated politicians. But some Republicans say it could be resurrected on its own.
Racing the Clock, Democrats Grasp for a Deal on Biden’s Agenda
Democrats struggled to bridge crucial differences over what to include in and how to pay for their social policy and climate plan.
How to Fix the Democrats’ Build Back Better Plan
The party has to do a few things well, rather than a bunch of things poorly.
Biden and Democrats Push for Budget Deal This Week as Rifts Remain
Negotiators were closing in on a deal that could spend around $1.75 trillion, but lawmakers were still haggling over critical disagreements on the sprawling social policy bill.
How 4 Weeks of U.S. Paid Leave Would Compare With the Rest of the World
The U.S. is one of six countries with no national paid leave. The Democrats have cut their plan to four weeks, which would still make it an outlier.
Why Is Raising a Child in the United States So Hard?
Family welfare policies never took off in the United States as they did in the rest of the wealthy world. Some Democrats think the country is ready.
Biden’s Paid Leave Plan at Risk as Lawmakers Seek Cuts
An initial proposal to offer workers 12 weeks of paid leave could be whittled down as Democrats try to trim their $3.5 trillion social policy bill.
What Do You Like to Do During a Mental Health Day?
We’re seeking inspiration from our readers.
How to Build a Paid Family Leave Plan That Doesn’t Backfire
Congress is designing a policy as part of Democrats’ safety net spending plan. Evidence from around the world suggests what works and what doesn’t.
Should the U.S. Expand the Social Safety Net?
Readers disagree with a guest essay that argued that America cannot afford the $3.5 trillion bill now before Congress.
We’ll Give You a Week Off. Please Don’t Quit.
“Operation Chillax”: Companies are trying to combat burnout from working remotely by offering more time off and other perks.
Why You Might Not Be Returning to the Office Until Next Year
After the Delta variant disrupted plans to reopen after Labor Day, many businesses pushed their targets further out or left them open-ended.
The Labor Shortage Is Empowering Workers to Demand Better Jobs
Workers have decided they’re not content to settle for demeaning, low-paid work. Can employers take the hint?
How Parents Can Ask for Flexibility When Offices Reopen
With some employers looking to bring staff back to work on-site, here’s how parents can ask for schedule accommodations.
No, the Unvaccinated Aren’t All Just Being Difficult
“Sometimes you have to make it too convenient so that people can’t say no.”
When to Take a Mental Health Day
Here’s how to protect your mental health in a culture that values work over well-being.
Paternity Leave Fear
Even when paid leave is guaranteed, many men fear it would set them back at work. A new study from Norway shows a way to a solution.
Child Care Is Not the Place for Biden to Skimp
While the idiotic controversy over what constitutes infrastructure rages, the president should look to his former rivals to improve his family plan.
N.Y.C. Workers Will Not Have a Paid Day Off for Juneteenth
Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed last year that Juneteenth would be an official holiday. City workers learned this week they would not be getting a paid day off after all.
Five Takeaways About Amazon’s Employment Machine
Outsiders see a business success story for the ages. Many insiders see an employment system under strain.
Working Less Is a Matter of Life and Death
Putting limits on labor isn’t just a perk. It’s a way to safeguard workers’ health.