Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition Receives National Recognition, 6th Annual Awards Program Launched

Legal Aid at Work staff members Sharon Terman, Howard Chen, Katie Wutchiett, and Julia Parish at the Healthy Mothers Workplace Awards

San Francisco (August 29, 2018)— The National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW) presented a 2018 Achievement Award to the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women and its partners in the Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition, including the Department of Public Health and Legal Aid at Work.

“I am thrilled to receive this prestigious national award on behalf of the Coalition,” stated Dr. Emily Murase, Director of the Department on the Status of Women. The NACW identified the Healthy Mothers Workplace Recognition Program as an exemplary model for promoting the well-being of women and their families.

Having a healthy workplace for mothers matters. According to the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, 70% of mothers with school-aged children are in the labor force. Of these, 75% work full-time. And there has been a sea change in primary breadwinners. Compared to 1960, when just 11% of primary breadwinners were mothers, today 40% of mothers are the primary or sole breadwinners in their households.

The Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition, composed of government agencies, nonprofits, community advocates, and employers, seeks to improve working conditions and perinatal healthcare through education, public policy, and an annual recognition program for employers who demonstrate excellence in promoting health and gender equity.

“Health experts are grateful for the Coalition and participating employers because working conditions during the pregnancy, postpartum, and newborn periods can determine the health of mothers and babies,” stated Dr. Curtis Chan, Medical Director of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. “The Coalition enables employers to learn about the needs of families, new policies, and best practices that are feasible and impactful.”

The Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition is now accepting applications for its 2018 recognition program! To participate, San Francisco employers should complete a short self-assessment by September 30, 2018, describing how their workplaces support families. Depending on the level of support offered, all employers will receive a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Healthy Mothers Workplace Award. Honorees will receive a certificate signed by the Mayor of San Francisco as well as a decal and digital badge to identify their workplaces as among San Francisco’s best workplaces for families at an awards ceremony on October 30, 2018.

“Since 2012, the Coalition has recognized 66 employers with over 100 awards, positively impacting nearly half a million people,” said Sharon Terman, Director of the Work and Family Program at Legal Aid at Work. “At least six employers improved their policies to move up an award level since participating in the program, which was selected as a ‘Top 10 Innovation for San Francisco’ at the 2015 US Conference of Mayors Annual Conference.”

To learn more about the Coalition, please visit: healthymothersworkplace.org

 

Quick Escape