How Social Security and paid leave policies affect women's prospects for healthy lives

In this presentation, several prominent current policy issues which are likely to affect the health and well-being of families and their children will be addressed: proposed shifts to the social security system, including increasing the retirement age, and decreasing benefits; and state and federal campaigns to guarantee paid leave for workers who are sick, temporarily disabled, or who have recently delivered a child. Drawing on recent research, policy analysis, and interviews with policy makers, the panelist will also discuss how the social security and retirement systems can be modified to better address women's economic security and health needs; and how enhanced leave policies (such as policies that would require employers to provide workers with a minimum number of paid sick days) would benefit employees, businesses, and the overall U.S. economy. Given dramatic shifts in women's labor force participation in recent decades, policy reforms that fully acknowledge and value the contributions of unpaid care work, as well as formal labor force participation, will improve the health and well-being of both women and men over the long term.