PL+US

New Campaign Campaigns

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  Starbucks: Extend paid parental leave policy to ALL employees

  I was a barista at Starbucks a little over a year ago when my kids were small. Overall it was a great place to work, with nice regulars and a hardworking manager who’s a dad like me. So I was really surprised when I saw Starbucks make an announcement on January 19, 2017 that it would be updating its parental leave policy in the U.S. starting in October 2017. At first, the new policy sounded great: new parents in their corporate office will be getting some of the most generous paid leave in the industry -- at least 12 weeks of fully paid time off - which is the way it should be. But partners in the stores will be getting much less: barista moms are getting less than half of what corporate HQ moms get (six weeks paid at 100% of their annual pay), and for barista dads like I was or adoptive parents? Nothing. Not a single day of paid parental leave for those hard working, and deserving parents in the U.S. We would only be allowed unpaid leave. When I worked there, I felt like Starbucks worked hard to take care of their employees and overall, is a progressive company. Giving all new parents the same amount of leave whether they’re in the stores or the corporate office should be a no-brainer. It’s something you’d expect a company like Starbucks to just do automatically. For me, a working dad, it’s an obvious choice. But sometimes a large corporation needs a little nudge to get their attention. Join me in asking Starbucks to do better for all of their employees - including their baristas!

  4,886 of 5,000 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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  Whole Foods: Employees need paid leave and COVID-19 support

  Whole Foods employees are putting their lives on the line every day to keep our kitchens stocked during a global pandemic. But while the company rakes in the profits from record sales, the workers on the front lines of this crisis are getting sick. Because Whole Foods offers no paid family and medical leave, employees can’t afford to take time off if they get sick or if they need to stay home to care for a family member or themselves. Whole Foods is owned by Amazon, whose CEO Jeff Bezos is the richest man on earth. Most grocery store workers live paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford to stay home without pay, even if they’re sick, or if they have an underlying health condition that puts them in greater danger if they contract COVID-19. But Whole Foods refuses to offer paid family and medical leave, putting employees, customers, and the public at risk. Whole Foods employees are speaking out and demanding basic protections, including paid leave, hazard pay, and free testing for COVID-19. And the pressure is growing--employees staged a “sick out” in protest, attorneys general in 15 states have asked Bezos to change the leave policy, and news outlets all over the country are covering the story. If we all speak out right away, we can keep the pressure on Bezos and Whole Foods to provide paid leave to all employees--but we have to act fast. Will you add your name?

  867 of 1,000 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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  Tyson Foods: Don't Reopen Without Paid Leave

  Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat processing companies in the world, has become the next deadly epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. Meat processing plants have long been one of the most dangerous workplaces in America, but the Coronavirus has made the situation drastically worse. Meat processors work shoulder to shoulder in crowded plants. From Iowa to Georgia, thousands of employees at meat processing plants have gotten sick and several have even died--forcing Tyson to close multiple plants where outbreaks had occurred. Now, Tyson is planning to reopen plants, after President Trump ordered meat processors to stay open. That means that employees will be going back to work in an environment where social distancing is impossible--but since Tyson has no comprehensive paid sick or family leave policies, they’ll be forced to choose between their paycheck and protecting their health and their families. That’s why employees and consumers are speaking out together: Nobody should have to risk their health--or their family’s health--to go to work. Tyson must provide paid leave to all employees before they reopen a single plant. Will you add your name?

  71 of 100 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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  Tell Target: Shipt shoppers need paid leave, too.

  Target’s grocery delivery service, Shipt, is more popular than ever as families look to have basic supplies delivered to their homes instead of going into stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand is so high the company is looking to hire 10,000 new employees. But Shipt’s 100,000 “shoppers”--the employees who shop for and deliver groceries for Target stores--don’t have basic protections like cleaning supplies to keep themselves safe, or paid leave in case they get sick or need to care for a family member. And the pay is so low, many Shipt shoppers can’t afford to take time off work--even if it puts their health and their families at risk. In fact, most Target store employees get up to 150 days of paid medical leave, and 4 weeks of family caregiving leave--but the Shipt shoppers who deliver the products to our homes don’t get any. In a time when many consumers don’t want to go into stores to shop, delivery services like Shipt are providing a major revenue source for Target and other grocery stores. Shipt shoppers are working side by side with Target store employees--but don’t have access to the same paid leave to support themselves and their families. That’s why Shipt shoppers went on strike earlier this week. They’re demanding paid leave, hazard pay, and basic safety and cleaning supplies like masks and hand sanitizer. Target--which is one of the largest retailers in the country--can afford to protect EVERYONE who works in its stores as well as its customers during this pandemic. If we all speak out now, we can pressure Target to provide these basic protections to Shipt shoppers. Will you sign the petition?

  25 of 100 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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  FedEx: Employees need access to paid family and medical leave

  FedEx employs hundreds of thousands of people across the country and around the world. While many of us are sheltering at home - people who work for FedEx are working harder than ever on the frontlines of this pandemic. But if FedEx employees get sick, many don’t get paid. While FedEx employees are ensuring that so many of us have all that we need delivered to our homes, they don’t have access to the time that they need to care for sick and suffering family members - or personal medical leave for themselves if they get sick.

  5,726 of 6,000 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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  iHeartMedia: Offer paid family leave to ALL your employees

  I’m a dad, and I’ve got another baby on the way (due in two months!) and while I’ve worked for iHeartMedia for eight months, I will not have access to a single day of paid parental leave when our newborn arrives. iHeartMedia, formerly Clear Channel, is the largest owner of radio stations in the country - reaching millions of listeners across the United States every day. But for a company that touches so many families and households, they are surprisingly behind the times when it comes to its paid leave for its employees. iHeartmedia only provides time for childbirth recovery, no time for dads like me to bond with a new baby or support a partner recovering from childbirth, no time to care for a seriously ill family member, and new mothers are forced to have to sign up for Short-Term Disability in order to reap the benefits of any type of leave towards childbirth. I love working for iHeartmedia. I’m both a Software Engineer and a DJ, so my work touches on both of my passions, technology and music. I am lucky enough to work on an AMAZING project where, for the most part, my team is very flexible when it comes to our work schedule, which is why I feel and believe that iHeartMedia can do MUCH better when it comes to paid family leave. I’m surprised that we are falling behind so many of our competitors when it comes to this benefit. I know that iHeartMedia is an awesome company, and I know they can do better for dads like me, and all new parents. That’s why I’m asking that the company show bold leadership in the industry and expand the paid family leave policy to include ALL parents.

  2,940 of 3,000 Signatures

  Created by Kevin and PL+US
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  Publix: The worst paid family leave policy

  A few months ago, I became a dad to Fynlee and becoming her dad has been one of the greatest joys of my life and the time I get to spend with her is precious. But my employer, Publix, doesn’t offer any paid family leave, so after she was born I was left with no option but to use my vacation days to have the time I needed to bond with Fynlee. It wasn’t nearly enough. Even after only three months, I can see the difference between the connection she has with me and the connection she has with her mom. I try to make her smile the way she smiles with her mom, but it’s not the same because I’m not the one spending all the time with her. After reading PL+US’ 2018 Employer Scorecard, I learned that Publix is the worst employer for families -- they provide zero weeks of paid family leave. I’ve been at Publix for 15 years and I love working there, but the values they show their customers are very different from the reality facing Publix employees. When I found out that they don’t offer any paid leave, I was disappointed. And I’m not alone. A coworker with a five-month-old baby shared with me that she only had one week of paid short-term disability and seven weeks of FMLA, which is unpaid. It’s sad when you see mothers coming back to work at Publix so soon after giving birth. When I tried to use my sick days to help support Fynlee’s mom while she recovered, I was told that it wasn’t allowed. And I couldn’t afford to use FMLA because our family couldn’t go without a paycheck. Fathers have a role as caregivers too, but we can’t do that if we’re not given the time. Some days I see my fiancé and Fynlee for only a couple of hours because of my workload. I do my best. I am there, just not as much as I’d hope any father could be. Join me in asking Publix to take this opportunity to lead the way in creating a workplace where families can thrive. Ask Publix to introduce a 12 weeks paid family and medical leave policy for all employees.

  5,845 of 6,000 Signatures

  Created by Adam Nolan
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  Target is worse than Walmart on paid parental leave?!

  I’m a super busy mom and have always chosen to shop at Target because I thought its policies towards employees were more humane than Walmart. But I just learned Target is worse than Walmart -- it only offers two weeks paid parental leave plus some short-term disability for people who give birth! This means that birthing moms have 8-10 weeks, while dads and other non-birthing parents only get 2 weeks. Leaving my tiny baby would be extremely painful, and yet 1 in 4 women in this country have to go back to work within 2 weeks of giving birth because of inadequate policies like Target's. When I gave birth to my son Oliver, I only had six weeks of paid parental leave, barely enough time to recover from my C-section. I can't imagine what it would have been like if me or my husband would have had to leave him after just two weeks. So when I see Target employees stocking shelves, working the check-out line or answering questions I can’t help but wonder whether they’ve got a tiny baby at home who they can’t be with. I believe being there and providing for those you love isn’t negotiable. That’s why I’d love for you to join me in calling on Target to provide 12 weeks fully paid parental leave to ALL employees.

  23 of 100 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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  Marriott: live up to your values, expand your paid family leave policy!

  My name is Malissa and I work for Marriott at a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. My husband and I want to start a family, but we are delaying because the paid family leave that I get from Marriott is not enough for us to care for a new baby and make ends meet. One of Marriott’s core values is “take care of associates and they will take care of the customers,” but my coworkers and I don’t feel like we are taken care of well enough. They only offer two weeks of paid parental leave, plus half-pay of disability leave for childbirth recovery. No one can afford to start a family on that! That's why I started a petition asking Marriott to expand their paid family leave policy. Join me in asking Marriott to expand their paid family leave policy. Marriott became the number one hotel company in the world since they merged with Starwood properties, but it's pathetic that a company can hold such a high rank in the world and only offer two weeks paid parental leave. My husband and I delayed starting a family this year because we could not afford to miss work. Now we are worried we may have to delay starting a family another year for the same reason. I like my job, but I am now considering the possibility of leaving Marriott for a company with a better-paid family leave policy. Join me in asking Marriott to live up to its values and expand their paid family leave policy. Let's show them that employees and customers care so they can improve their paid family leave policy.

  71 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Malissa Ireland and PL+US
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  Starbucks: Dads need time to bond with their babies too!

  I’ve been a barista at Starbucks for nearly 4 years in multiple states and currently work in Wilsonville, Oregon. My wife is due to give birth to our first baby in less than 2 weeks. For so many soon-to-be fathers, feeling anxious is normal, but I’m even more nervous because we don’t have access to any paid parental leave. In order to help support my wife during her pregnancy, I used up some of my vacation and sick time, which is now running short. Currently, I have a week and a half left of vacation or sick time which I expect to use after our delivery. Our benefits allowed us the family planning financial assistance necessary for infertility treatment, but now the ability to be present during the most crucial stage of my family’s development is in jeopardy. As a single income family with a new infant, we simply cannot afford to take unpaid time off. The current partner benefits system works against expecting parents, something we have unfortunately found out the hard way. The part time disability that my wife and I pay into does not allow any paid time off to care for my wife after birth, because pregnancy is considered as a preexisting condition. As our child is scheduled to arrive during the holiday season, the ability to be a part of the postpartum process is even more worrisome. I made the choice to work at Starbucks after a 17 year long career because I have received great benefits, including health insurance. I’m a partner and a shareholder in the company - but when it comes to paid family leave, it’s as if my contributions and sacrifices to Starbucks don't matter. It is incredibly frustrating to know that new fathers who work in the corporate office receive 12 weeks paid parental leave - time that would make a world of difference for my family. These rights should be offered to every partner, in every retail store, and would impress upon the company an even more supportive and fulfilling workplace. I’m sharing my story because I know that it’s not just me who needs to be able to take paid parental leave - I’ve talked to so many other men at work who are shocked to find out that we don’t receive any paid time to be there when we have children. The time of fathers and husbands to only be financial contributors has come and gone. My desire to be an equal part of the rearing of my children and caretaker seem to be a concept that Starbucks has yet to consider. For relationships like ours, that don’t have assistance from family and friends, we equally rely on each other in times of health and hardships. Currently, Starbucks employees who work in the corporate office receive 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and birthing mothers receive an additional 6 weeks (18 weeks total). For those of us who work in the stores, birthing mothers and adoptive parents receive 6 weeks paid parental leave - but dads are completely left out - we don’t receive any time at all.

  88 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Ryk and PL+US