How political shifts could impact parents and families
or, an interview with Inimai Chettiar, President of A Better Balance
As I mentioned before, I’m crowdsourcing reader’s best advice on parenting, work, and working parenthood for an upcoming article. Guys, the wisdom that’s already been shared is *great*. If you haven’t contributed your two cents, please reply directly to this email or submit it anonymously here.
To say that the current American political climate is feeling increasingly chaotic and uncertain would be an understatement. With so many concerning stories flooding the news, it can be easy to tune out. But I want to focus today’s newsletter on current policy issues that impact working families.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Inimai Chettiar, President of A Better Balance, one of the country’s foremost advocacy organizations for pregnancy accommodations, paid leave, and workplace policy advancements for women and families. Inimai spent 15 years in the fight for criminal justice reform as a nonprofit lawyer at the ACLU and Brennan Center, and due to a harrowing journey to become a mother, recently switched into the gender justice field. She is the mother of a toddler and is expecting her second child next week.
JW: What workplace rights do you see as most at risk in the near future? Are there specific issues that working parents should be paying attention to?
IC: One of the biggest risks is the Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act. Passed in 2022, this law requires employers to accommodate pregnant workers unless it poses an undue hardship. Last month, President Trump fired multiple EEOC commissioners—critical because the EEOC issued strong regulations implementing the law. These regulations ensure protections not just for pregnant and postpartum workers but also for those seeking to begin or end a pregnancy, including accommodations for abortion and fertility treatments, such as leave for medical appointments.
The concern is that Trump will appoint new commissioners, regain a quorum, and gut these regulations—whether by stripping only the abortion provisions, dismantling the entire law, or something in between.
Adding to this, multiple Attorneys General in red states have challenged the law in court. The Department of Justice must now decide whether to defend it, particularly the regulations under attack. Many people don’t realize the Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act is even on the administration’s radar as part of a broader assault on women’s rights.
Beyond this, return-to-office mandates for federal workers and anti-DEI initiatives could disproportionately impact women and caregivers seeking accommodations. I worry about a backlash that leads employers to deny legally required accommodations, further harming those most affected by these policies.
JW: Despite significant, bipartisan, public support for paid family leave and paid medical leave, we still lack a federal policy. What do you see as the current biggest obstacles to passing comprehensive paid leave at the national level?
IC: The concept of paid family medical leave has bipartisan support, but the policies themselves have not. One of our initiatives is increasing bipartisan and business support for paid leave. A common myth is that paid leave harms businesses, but dozens of state laws prove otherwise—it benefits employers, employees, and families. These two challenges remain the biggest obstacles.
JW: Pivoting to another important issue—with childcare costs soaring and federal funding for childcare centers uncertain, we’re facing an ongoing childcare crisis. What are the most urgent policy interventions needed to address this issue?
IC: All of these issues we’re talking about are connected. The same people struggling to afford childcare also need access to paid leave, pregnancy and postpartum accommodations, sick time, and direct support like the child tax credit to help ease the childcare crisis. Equally important is supporting childcare providers—through robust funding for centers and ensuring caregivers in the workforce get the support they need.
JW: I know it's difficult to forecast, but do you see this administration tying to pint the childcare burden to employers instead of funding it federally?
IC: My concern here is that they’ll implement policies that sound good in name but lack real impact. For example, there’s an effort to renew a tax credit for employers who provide paid leave. On face value, this seems beneficial, but research shows it doesn’t incentivize more employers to offer leave—it just maintains the status quo. These kinds of policies may sound promising at first, but the track record shows they don’t work.
JW: You touched on this earlier, but let’s dive into the issue of flexible work arrangements. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen the federal government institute return-to-work orders, as well as private companies rolling back WFH arrangements. What concerns you most about this?
IC: Yeah, this is something we've focused on a lot. The lack of flexible work arrangements is a challenge for professionals, but it's an even bigger issue for lower-wage, hourly, and shift workers in retail, service, and warehouse jobs—where flexibility is least available. Even basic accommodations, like moving to light duty or a desk job, or allowing remote work, are often denied.
I'm especially concerned that both the federal government and private employers are pushing full-time in-office work, even though many federal workers had part-time or remote arrangements before the pandemic.
The biggest impact falls on women and caregivers. In terms of policies, the Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act remains in effect despite legal challenges, ensuring pregnant workers have access to flexible work accommodations. Beyond that, access to paid family leave, sick time, and flexible scheduling is critical.
JW: So many of the issues we’ve discussed are often framed as ‘women’s issues’ in the media, yet they have broad economic benefits. How can we reframe these conversations to drive bipartisan support in today’s polarized political climate?
IC: Yeah, I have two main thoughts. First, these are no longer just women's issues—more men are caregivers, non-binary people can be pregnant, and many families are non-traditional or LGBTQ+. Family, caregiving, and medical needs extend far beyond gender. We've been working to make our services and policies as inclusive as possible, ensuring that all our laws define “family” broadly to include same-sex partners, grandparents, and more. This broad definition has been successfully incorporated into many leave and accommodation laws.
Second, I’d push back on the idea that framing this as a women’s issue would hurt bipartisan support. In fact, the Republican Party is actively trying to increase support among women, and there’s ongoing discussion about the lack of Republican female legislators. Highlighting these issues could be a strategic way to gain bipartisan backing. For example, a group of Republican women in Congress is pushing for proxy voting for pregnant and postpartum members. They understand the need for accommodations firsthand, and that awareness could extend to broader workplace policies—like recognizing the needs of women in manufacturing jobs. So, leaning into this as a women’s issue could actually strengthen bipartisan support.
JW: Since January we've seen a noticeable reduction in the coordinated resistance that characterized Trump's first term. Given widespread burnout and disillusionment, what are some actionable next steps that busy parents can take to effectively advocate?
Definitely. First, parents should know their workplace rights—there are federal, state, and local laws that provide protections. A Better Balance has a workplace rights hub where people can learn about their rights for managing health and caregiving needs, since protections vary by location.
Second, call your Congress member and make sure they know these issues matter to you. While childcare gets a lot of attention, paid leave, sick leave, and pregnancy accommodations are just as crucial for caregivers.
Third, since national progress can be slow, parents should get involved in state and local efforts. In the last election, Nebraska, Missouri, and Alaska passed statewide paid sick time laws through ballot initiatives. There’s strong bipartisan support for these policies at the state level, even in deeply red states.
Finally, A Better Balance offers a free legal helpline for parents who need more information about their rights. Our number is 1-833-NEED-ABB—we’re happy to answer questions and provide guidance.
Lighting Round
Best book you've read lately… I am a the parent of a 2-year-old, so the book I've read lately is No Drama Discipline, which is basically about how to discipline your kid while being very gentle and fostering their emotions.
Favorite source for reliable news… I guess I'm kind of old school. I read the New York Times.
How do you maintain peace of mind in difficult times?… The main way is spending time with my daughter. I had a very long, complex fertility journey and a very difficult pregnancy with her. And so the way that I maintain my center and peace is just spending as much time with her as possible.
Best piece of advice for working moms… Educate yourself, know your rights, and call us if you need help. I think it's very underestimated the load that working moms carry, but I would just say advocate for yourself as much as you can and find time for self-care.
Read
The workplace gap: Supporting parents of school-aged kids and teens (Forbes) A reminder to businesses that working parents need support regardless of the age of their children! Some companies are rising to the challenge and providing important benefits.
Idaho is about to endanger its youngest residents (The Family Frontier) A proposed bill in Idaho seeks to eliminate all child-to-adult ratio limits in child care settings (🤯), prioritizing corporate interests over children’s safety and potentially paving the way for similar reckless deregulation in other states.
The Case for Sabbaticals — and How to Take a Successful One (HBR gift link): A great research-based primer on the importance of taking extended breaks from work and how to get the most out of them.
Yes, men are struggling—but dismantling women's progress isn't the answer (Marie Claire) In this article, friend-of-the-newsletter Reshma Saujani argues that blaming women's progress for men's struggles is a false narrative pushed by powerful figures to fuel division, when the real solution lies in rewriting societal expectations for men rather than dismantling equality. Mic drop.
