Full text of Women's Bureau Updates : November 2023, Issue XI

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Women's Bureau

November 2023 | Issue XI

Sample Employment Agreements will help Domestic Workers and
Employers Negotiate

Domestic workers keep America's economy and families running, but too often they lack job stability or formal employment
arrangements. Our new sample employment agreements for cleaners, home care workers and nannies can help. These sample
agreements will put more power into the hands of domestic workers and serve as a helpful starting point to create a shared
understanding of the terms of employment between workers and employers. View our new Domestic Workers webpage now and
check back frequently as we add translations into other languages.
Download the sample agreements and explore good practices to consider when drafting an agreement
Watch Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su announce the sample agreements at CareFest
Read coverage of the sample agreements in The 19th

Cost of Doing Nothing update shows how much the U.S. is losing out on by not investing in
care
We always hear the same question about federal investments in care infrastructure: How much would it cost? In our new fact sheet,
the Women’s Bureau updates Department of Labor research from 2015 that turns that question on its head to ask what it's costing
us NOT to invest in working families and our care infrastructure the way other peer countries do, through policies like paid sick
days, paid family and medical leave, and accessible and affordable child care. The answer is a shocking $775 billion annually!
Read the 2023 update to the Department of Labor’s 2015 report, The Cost of Doing Nothing

Military families need paid leave. These states provide it.
Over 1.3 million people serve on active duty in the U.S., with 1.5 million immediate family members serving alongside them.
Members of the military and their families may face special caregiving challenges, and a handful of states provide paid family and
medical leave for military-adjacent caregiving purposes. Learn which states, and what circumstances they cover, in our new fact
sheet.
Review the fact sheet

November Observances
Family Caregivers Month

This Family Caregivers Month, our new issue brief highlights an essential pillar of the U.S. care infrastructure: Older women. Not
only are older women disproportionately concentrated in many paid caregiving occupations, but they provide crucial unpaid care,
as well. In fact, over a year, the average U.S. woman aged 55 or older provides the equivalent of more than five weeks of full-time
unpaid care to family members and friends.
Learn more about older women caregivers
Read the blog
Watch our short video
View all of our resources related to older women and work

National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week was a busy one at the Women’s Bureau, as we worked with our sister agencies to showcase
apprenticeship as an important strategy toward sustainable career pathways for women. We hosted national and regional webinars
laying out the benefits of apprenticeship; profiled women graduates of apprenticeship training programs; published an op-ed
about women in apprenticeship and nontraditional fields (see “WB In the News” below); and released a new blog.
Watch a video highlighting women whose apprenticeships put them on track for career success
View apprenticeship resources from the WB
Access apprenticeship resources from the Department of Labor
Check out our new blog on how historic infrastructure investments can advance equity in the labor force, which was crossposted on the Department of Commerce’s Internet for All website

Veterans Day

Major Ashlyn King, USMC, Retired (center), now a Policy Analyst with the Women’s Bureau, with her mother and
grandmother on her commissioning day in 2003.

We are grateful to all of America’s veterans, including the veterans – and military spouses – on our staff at the Women’s Bureau, who
bring an invaluable perspective to our work.
Are you or a loved one a veteran of the U.S. military? Check out resources from our sister agency, the Veterans' Employment
and Training Service (VETS).

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, is a reminder that the work of ending genderbased violence and harassment (GBVH), both in the U.S. and globally, is far from finished. November 25 also kicks off the global 16
Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which stretches through December 10. At the WB, tackling GBVH in the world of
work is one of our top priorities.
Review our microsite on GBVH in the world of work
Read our recent blog about employment laws that can help survivors of domestic violence at work
Read our new blog with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about safety from GBVH at work
See the Presidential Proclamation

Women's Bureau Receives "Building Together" award from Chicago Women in Trades

The Women’s Bureau was honored to receive the Building Together award from Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) for the pivotal role
WB has played both in CWIT’s development and, currently, as a thought partner and supporter of CWIT’s work. WB staff led by
Midwest Regional Administrator Gina Rodriguez (center) accepted the award at CWIT’s 40th anniversary celebration.

In Case You Missed It

WB Director Wendy Chun-Hoon spoke on a panel organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies Human Rights
Initiative titled “The Future of the Care Economy.” She discussed the WB’s and the Biden-Harris administration’s work to strengthen
care infrastructure and support care workers.

Watch the panel on YouTube

Deputy Director Leah Rambo (second from right) spoke at the Massachusetts Girls in Trades conference in Eastern Dorchester, Mass.

Women’s Bureau staff presented on gender-based violence and harassment at the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)
convention in Minneapolis.

WB in the News
The 19th: Biden administration offers support for nannies, house cleaners, care workers
NewsNation: Biden admin introduces sample agreements for domestic workers
Kansas City Star: How can KC fix infrastructure, fill jobs and empower women? One word: Apprenticeships
Observer-Reporter (Pennsylvania): Rising child care costs forcing some parents to quit or change jobs

We Want to Hear from You!

“Occupational segregation” is the gendered sorting of men and women into different types of jobs. It leads to women being
overrepresented in certain jobs, which are valued and compensated less than male-dominated jobs.
We’ve heard from many working women about their experiences with gendered job expectations, the challenges they face at work,
the support systems that help them thrive and the policy changes that would help them succeed. We'd like to hear from you.
Read their stories
Tell us your story

Follow the Women's Bureau on Twitter: @WB_DOL

The Women’s Bureau has championed the rights of working women and served as a convener of conversations critical to an
equitable economy for women for more than 100 years.
Follow us at @WB_DOL to learn more about the latest research, initiatives, policies and updates related to working women and
their families.

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