Report: Indiana earns D- rating for workplace policies

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WANE) – The grades are in, Indiana earned a “D-” this year for its workplace policies.

According to the study, Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws that Help Expecting and New Parents, conducted by the National Partnership for Women and Families, Indiana has a long way to go to ensure the needs of working families are met.

Indiana joins 26 other states that have failed to provide paid family and medical leave, paid sick days, protection for pregnant workers, or other supports for working families.

Indiana’s low grade is due in part to the fact that currently, over 1 million Indiana residents cannot earn a single paid sick day. According to the report, 3.5 days lost to illness are equivalent to a family’s monthly grocery budget. In addition, only 37% of Indiana’s workers are estimated to be eligible for and able to afford unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act. Finally, nearly one in four women returns to work within two weeks of giving birth in Indiana.

According to the report, Indiana narrowly missed an “F,” thanks to its law protecting nursing mothers’ workplace rights, which states that all nursing mothers who work for employers with 25 or more employees must be provided a place other than a toilet stall to express milk as well as cold storage options and paid break time.

Indiana also received a small boost because state workers who earn sick time may also use that time for the illness or injury of a family member.

To view the full report, visit National Partnership for Women and Families.