PL+US

New Campaign Campaigns

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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.

  16 of 100 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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  Publix: The worst paid family leave policy

  Paid family leave provides working people time to be with their families when they are needed most: when welcoming a newly arrived child, caring for a seriously ill family member, or addressing one's own illness. Publix is a top employer, yet fails to provide employees this critical benefit. PL+US has just published its third annual ranking of paid family leave policies at the largest employers in the U.S. and Publix came in dead last. There is clear momentum in the private sector and Publix has quickly fallen far behind their competitors. In the last year alone, 20 companies ranging from Starbucks to Walmart have expanded their paid leave policies. The benefits of paid family leave are well documented. Businesses that have implemented better paid leave policies have done so noting the advantages of employee recruitment, retention, and reduced turnover costs. Publix’s policies also have a major impact on the lives of employees. Paid family leave is proven to benefit both child and maternal health outcomes and reduces infant mortality. Publix offers NO paid family leave to its 190,000 employees. Zero days off after childbirth, zero days to care for a dying parent, zero days for chemo treatments. Employees can change company policies when they take action together. We've seen Publix employees successfully convince the company to update the dress code to allow beards using a Coworker.org campaign and on the issue of paid leave, PL+US has helped Starbucks baristas win more generous family leave in their workplace. Publix current policy is failing employees and falls far behind industry standards. As CEO you have the power to lead by offering all of your employees at least 12 weeks of paid family leave.

  4,787 of 5,000 Signatures

  Created by PL+US: Paid Leave for the U.S.
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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!

  4,881 of 5,000 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.

  66 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.

  81 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Ryk and PL+US
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  Gap Inc: Provide Quality Paid Parental Leave for Your Employees!

  I try to shop responsibly when I can. As a very pregnant mother-to-be, I felt good about shopping at The Gap for my maternity clothes because of their recent ad campaign around closing the wage gap facing women in the workplace. That’s why I was shocked to find out that The Gap offers only the bare minimum of paid leave to new moms, and nothing to dads or adoptive parents. If The Gap wants to support working women and the issue of equal pay, then this is a critical gap in its workplace that needs to be addressed. Women make 77 cents on the dollar (even less if they are women of color) compared to every dollar an equally qualified man makes. One of the main causes of wage inequality at the workplace is corporations’ shameful track record when it comes to parental leave. Providing quality paid family leave that is available to moms AND dads is one of the first, most critical steps a company can do to help to close the wage gap. When both women and men have equal access to quality paid family leave, women have more equal footing in the workplace. It’s just that simple. Recently, a number of other major retail companies have announced far-reaching paid family leave policies for both moms and dads -- companies like Levis, Nike, even Ikea. Launching an advertising campaign designed to appeal to working women when in reality The Gap leaves too many working women hanging in the balance is nothing more than window-dressing. Women deserve more than a hashtag. It’s time for The Gap to put their policies where their ad campaign is: help #CloseThePayGap by providing quality paid family leave to ALL Gap employees.

  27 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Pauli and PL+US