Jackson Bill Would Better Protect Working Parents

This week, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson has proposed a bill to protect workers with family caretaking responsibilities. Both parents work in 70 percent of U.S. families with children, and one in four employees have eldercare responsibilities, Jackson said in a conference call with reporters. On the call was Derek Tysinger, a fire chief and single father of three boys who sued the city of Bakersfield in 1995 when he was passed over for promotion and berated for taking advantage of a shift-swapping policy so he could be present for his sons. He lost his case on appeal because, while there are workplace protections based on marital status, that is different from parental status, the court ruled. Jackson said the goal of her bill, SB 404, is not to lead to litigation but to create explicit policies with which corporate trainers can instruct employees.