Statement on Participating in Forum on Justice for Part-Time Workers

Washington, DC (March 26, 2013) — Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after participating in a forum to highlight economic struggles of part-time workers:

"Today I was honored to participate in a Forum to highlight the economic struggles of part-time workers. Almost a quarter of our workforce is now composed of part-time workers, yet many of them do not have access to critical work-related health and retirement benefits. To correct that problem I have introduced the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights.

"The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights would require employers to offer part-time workers employer-sponsored health insurance coverage or face a pro-rated employer responsibility penalty. This bill extends job-protected family and medical leave to part-time workers under the Family and Medical Leave Act. This bill would allow part-time workers to enroll and increase pro-rated benefits in their employers' pension plan. According to recent reports, some employers have begun to cut the hours of their employees to avoid responsibility under federal laws. Increasingly, especially in today's economy, we are seeing people work one or more part-time jobs because they are unable to obtain full-time employment. This puts hardworking Americans out of the work-related benefits and protections that are tied to full-time employment.

"Part-time workers need access to work-related benefits to meet their family responsibilities and retirement needs. The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights would require employers to provide critical benefits and protections to part-time workers. It would eliminate incentives for employers to cut back hours or hire only part-time workers to avoid responsibility under federal laws, including Obamacare, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, that currently apply only to full-time workers."

###