President Barack Obama’s recent Summit on Working Families brought attention to an issue that lawmakers in Washington state have been wrestling with for years: the balance between work and family.
“Most of our days consist of work, family, and not much else,” Obama said. “And those two spheres are constantly interacting with each other.”
Here in Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee recently signed an executive order expanding flexibility for all state workers, including more telecommuting and flexible work hours, to reduce traffic congestion and improve worker quality of life.
Obama’s remarks touched on other issues lawmakers here have also been working on, such as the minimum wage and the high cost of child care.
Workers without flexible hours or paid sick leave: “And as a consequence, if they need to bring their mom to the doctor or take an afternoon off to see their kid’s school play, it would mean them losing income that they can’t afford to lose. And even when working from home from time to time is doable, it’s often not an option — even though studies show that flexibility makes workers happier and helps companies lower turnover and raise productivity.”
Childcare costs: “In fact, in 31 states, decent childcare costs more than in-state college tuition — in 31 states, in more than half the states. I recently got a letter from a woman in Minnesota whose kids’ preschool is so expensive, it costs more than her monthly mortgage payment. Now, she’s made a determination to make that sacrifice for her kids, but a lot of working families can’t make that sacrifice. And, by the way, there are other countries that know how to do childcare well. I mean, this isn’t rocket science.”
Washington state: This Washington Post story looked at all 50 states, comparing child care versus college tuition in 2013. The average public university tuition in Washington was $10,774 while average childcare costs ran $12,108 for an infant. The story cited this change as a reason why more moms and dads are staying home with kids instead of working, with 30 percent of moms staying home compared to 23 percent in 1999.
Minimum wage: “Or look at the minimum wage. Low-wage occupations disproportionately represented by women. Nearly 28 million Americans would benefit if we raised the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. And we’re not just talking about young people on their first job. The average worker who would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage is 35 years old. Many have kids, a majority are women. And right now, many full-time minimum wage workers are not making enough to keep their children out of poverty.”
Washington state: For years, our state has had the highest minimum wage in the nation, indexed to inflation. Seattle made national news by passing a $15 an hour minimum wage, phased in over years.