WRDI Watch

What should happen when illness, childbirth, caregiving, or another major life event makes it impossible to work as usual?

I've been thinking about that question as Sen. Mitch McConnell recovers from a fall and pneumonia that have kept him away from the Capitol almost two months. The ability to take time to recover without losing your livelihood is something most of us would probably want for any worker.

But not every worker has it.

Last year, Rep. Brittany Pettersen flew from Colorado to Washington with her four-week-old son for a crucial House vote because the rules required her to vote in person.

Same workplace. Different circumstances. And very different amounts of flexibility when life interrupted work.

That disparity extends well beyond Congress—and it often falls particularly hard on women. So what actually happens when work needs to bend around life?

This week, we're taking a closer look at the policies and workplace practices that determine who gets time, flexibility, and security when they need it—and who doesn't.

— Julie

In Brief

Time off is one form of workplace flexibility. And the ability to make work fit around the rest of life can have consequences that extend well beyond time away from a job.

Women are particularly exposed to that tension because they still shoulder more of the responsibility for caregiving. Women make up about 6 in 10 family caregivers in the U.S., and most caregivers are also working—meaning caring for a parent, spouse, child, or other family member often has to happen alongside a job.

Yet the U.S. still has no federal guarantee of paid family and medical leave for private-sector workers. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides eligible workers with job-protected time away, but that leave can be unpaid, and not every worker qualifies.

And the ability to absorb that lost income isn't equal, either. Women continue to earn less than men overall, leaving less financial cushion when taking unpaid time off, reducing hours, or paying for care becomes necessary.

Even workplace flexibility can come with tradeoffs. The Women in the Workplace 2025 Report found that women working remotely were less likely to have sponsors—people who actively advocate for their advancement—than women working on-site. Men's access to sponsorship, by comparison, remains relatively steady regardless of where they work.

Flexibility at work isn't just about whether it exists. It's also about whether workers can afford it—and whether using it affects their opportunities to advance.

Featured Posts

This week, we're featuring three recent workplace pieces from WRDI contributor Lisa Rockelli Gordon.

What changes when workers know what a job pays?
More states are requiring employers to disclose salary ranges or limiting questions about salary history. Early research suggests these laws may help narrow pay gaps and boost earnings for some women—but the results are mixed, and transparency alone isn't a silver bullet.
Read more → Do pay transparency laws help women get paid fairly?

A remote job can move with you. Your workplace rights may not.
Women make up the majority of America's remote workers, but moving across state lines can change more than your address. Health coverage, paid leave, pay transparency, and taxes can all be affected—even when your job and employer stay the same.
Read more → Moving states, keeping your job: What women working remotely need to know

Three states. Three approaches to workplace rights.
Federal law provides some baseline workplace protections, but states increasingly determine what comes on top of them. A comparison of Virginia, Texas, and Wisconsin shows how differently paid leave, salary transparency, union protections, and workplace equity policies can play out for women.
Read more → How state law is shaping the workplace realities for women in Virginia, Texas, and Wisconsin

What's New at WRDI

Bill Tracking Tool
Want to dig into the legislation behind the headlines? Our new Legislative Tracker lets you explore state and federal bills across WRDI's five rights categories, with filters by topic, location, and legislative status — and direct links to the original legislation.

It's a new way to explore the underlying legislative activity that informs WRDI's analysis and reporting.

Track What's Happening in Your State

Workplace protections are only one part of the rights landscape—and the policies affecting women continue to vary across the country.

Use our interactive map to see what's happening in your state across healthcare, workplace rights, safety, voting, and education.

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