Our focus on working families aims to improve workplace programs and policies which reflect the contemporary lives of all families so workers can be both productive employees and responsible family members. We conduct research on conditions and policies that affect working poor families in New Jersey the nation, and offer policy recommendations to help these families achieve economic self-sufficiency. Areas of research and policy expertise include: pay equity, the home-based childcare workforce, paid family leave and paid sick days, degree completion for adult workers, and minimum wage.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Working with the New Jersey Time to Care Coalition, the Center for Women and Work conducts research, outreach, and education on family-friendly workplace practices that provide workers with "time to care."
Family Values at Work Consortium (FVAW) is a consortium of 21 state coalitions focused on earned sick days, family leave insurance and other policies that value families at work.
Working Poor Families Project (WPFP) is a national initiative aimed at assessing state policies and programs that are designed to help low-income working families achieve economic security. The WPFP engages in partnerships with state nonprofit organizations to examine state work force development policies that involve education and skills training for adults, economic development, and work and income supports.
In the News
- Benefits 'evident' in Jersey City paid sick time law, Rutgers study finds
- Consumers Make the Case for Home-Care Provider Training
CWW's Working Families Program has been cited in print and audio media, in testimonies and other local and national publications.
Recent Reports from CWW Working Families Program
- Earned Sick Days in Jersey City: A Study of Employers and Employees at Year One, April 2015
- Home Care Attendant Training and Quality of Care from the Perspectives of Home Care Consumers, April 2015
- Key Facts on New Jersey's Tipped Minimum Wage, March 2014
- It's Catching: Public Opinion Toward Paid Sick Days In New Jersey, October 2013
- Policy in Action: NJ Family Leave at Age Three, January 2013
- Awareness of New Jersey's Family Leave Insurance Program Is Low, Even As Public Support Remains High and Need Persists, October 2012
- A Higher Minimum Wage Would Benefit Working Women, Their Families and All New Jerseyans (UPDATED - fact sheet), October 2012
- Giving Voice to New Jersey's Caregivers: The Union Experiences of Home-Based Child Care Providers, May 2012
- Policy Matters: Public Policy, Paid Leave for New Parents, and Economic Security for U.S. Workers, April 2012
- Close, but No Degree: Removing Barriers to Degree Completion and Economic Advancement in New Jersey, March 2012
- Pay Matters: The Positive Economic Impacts of Paid Family Leave for Families, Businesses and the Public, January 2012
- A Health Impact Assessment of Paid Sick Days Policy in New Jersey, April 2011 Full Report | Summary
- Leaves That Pay: Employer and Worker Experiences with Paid Family Leave in California by Eileen Appelbaum and Ruth Milkman, 2011
- Paying for College: Availability of Need-based Financial Aid for New Jersey's Working Adults by Karen White, Mary Gatta, Ph.D., and Heather McKay, Sept. 2010
- Economics and Politics of Work-Family Policy: The Case for State Family Leave Insurance Program by Karen White and Eileen Appelbaum, 2009
- Serving Students: A Survey of Contracted Food Service Work in New Jersey's K-12 Public Schools by Mary McCain, Ph.D., May 2009
- Climbing the Ladder: How to Invest in New Jersey's Working Families, March 2008
Past Projects
- Workplace Practices in Early Care and Education: Funded by the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, the Center for Women and Work conducted research on the management practices and organizational processes in early care and education centers. This study's aim was to understand the process of how childcare directors and early childhood educators in three- and four-year old classrooms make decisions about their work and how that decision-making impacts teachers’ job satisfaction and commitment, employee turnover, and classroom quality.
- Destination DC: Funded by the Ford Foundation, the Center for Women and Work conducted research on the migration from El Salvador and the existence of transnational communities in greater Washington, DC.