named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Free Legal Helpline
Provides free, confidential legal assistance to workers, including pregnant, postpartum, lactating, and parenting students, to enforce their workplace rights.
Paid Family and Medical Leave Advocacy
Advances state and federal policies for paid family and medical leave, including supporting ballot initiatives and legislative campaigns in states like Colorado, Minnesota, and Maryland.
Pregnant Workers Fairness Initiative
Advocates for enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act through litigation, amicus briefs, public education, and regulatory engagement with the EEOC.
Research and Public Education
Produces reports and resources on work-family justice, such as “Sick Without A Safety Net” and “Winning the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act,” to inform policy and public discourse.
State and Local Policy Reform
Works with coalitions to pass and strengthen paid sick time, earned sick leave, and paid parental leave laws in cities and states across the U.S., including in Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 2 activities
- Enforcing workers' rights through strategic litigationEngages in strategic litigation and legal action to combat discrimination against pregnant workers and caregivers, including filing charges with the EEOC, representing labor unions, and litigating against major employers like Walmart and Amazon. Achieved significant outcomes such as a $14 million settlement in a nationwide class action and policy changes benefiting 1.5 million Walmart workers.
- Operating public education and resource tools for work-family rightsProvides accessible public education resources, including a state-by-state guide to workplace rights and an interactive tool comparing state-level paid family and medical leave laws. Also operates online advocacy tools enabling constituents to contact representatives in support of work-family policies.
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Advocacy for Worker Health and Leave Policies 1 activity
- Advancing workplace protections through legislative and policy advocacyConducts sustained legislative and policy advocacy at federal, state, and local levels to secure and strengthen laws related to pregnancy accommodations, paid family and medical leave, paid sick time, and lactation rights. Contributed to the passage of the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, and helped enact paid leave and sick time policies in numerous states and localities, benefiting millions of workers.
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Gender Equity Research and Advocacy 1 activity
- Conducting research to inform work-family policy developmentProduces research reports, policy guides, and scholarly publications to advance equitable work-family policies, including analysis of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act’s impact, best practices for state-level leave policies, and strategies to counter state preemption of local laws. Also co-authored reports on LGBTQ+ rights and the evolution of the paid sick time movement.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Providing direct legal services and representation to workers and studentsOffers free, confidential legal support and representation to pregnant and parenting workers and students facing discrimination, including through a legal helpline operating since 2009 that has served tens of thousands of individuals in English and Spanish. Services include advising on workplace rights related to pregnancy, caregiving, and health needs, as well as legal advocacy under Title IX for parenting students.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$3.02M
Contributions & grants$2.91M97%
Program service revenue$29K1%
Investment income$98K3%
Other revenue$-25K
expenses
Total expenses$3.73M
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$2.85M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.36M
Cash$3.42M
Investments$0
Liabilities$151K
Net assets$4.21M
Liquid reserves11.0 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -17.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 7
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEVEN A TOLEDO | COO | 38 | $192K |
| JARED MAKE | Vice President | 38 | $173K |
| ELIZABETH M GEDMARK | Vice President | 38 | $152K |
| MARCELLA M KOCOLATOS | MANAGING ATTORNEY | 38 | $127K |
| INIMAI CHETTIAR | President | 38 | $104K |
| SHERRY LEIWANT | President Emeri | 2 | $81K |
| DINA BAKST | President Emeri | 2 | $79K |
board members · 10
- ARIEL DEVINE — Board Chair
- BETH NASH — Vice Chair
- ELIZABETH SAYLOR — Director
- JENNIFER TAMIS — Treasurer
- JESSICA HOUGH — Vice Chair
- LYNN APPLEBAUM — Director
- MIKE GAEBLER — Director
- NICOLE CZARNY — Director
- RISA E KAUFMAN — Secretary
- TAKIRAH WOODS — Director
relationships · 10
Who they work with
- ABB Network — Organization operates multiple offices across the country as part of an integrated national structure.
- Amazon Partner — Successfully litigated against Amazon to secure relief for workers whose rights were violated.
- EEOC Government — Engaged with EEOC to enforce legal protections for lactation accommodations in the workplace.
- Equality Federation Partner — Collaborated to co-author and release the report "Preempting LGBTQ+ Rights" on state preemption and work-family justice.
- Local Solutions Support Center Partner — Collaborated to co-author and release the report "Preempting LGBTQ+ Rights" on state preemption and work-family justice.
- March of Dimes Partner — Jointly submitted an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit in Texas v. Garland defending the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
- State Governments Government — References and interprets state-level laws to inform workers of their workplace rights.
- Transport Workers Union of America Local 556 Partner — Represented in a lawsuit to enforce compliance with Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act.
- UAW Local 2325 Partner — Voluntarily recognized union representation for A Better Balance employees through partnership with UAW Local 2325.
- Walmart Partner — Successfully litigated against Walmart to secure relief for workers whose rights were violated.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Law as a Lever for Cultural Norm Shiftmethodology: law-as-lever-for-cultural-changeBy enacting legal changes around caregiving rights, the organization produces cultural change because legal recognition legitimizes caregiving as socially valuable, shifting norms and increasing uptake and enforcement of protections.
- Legal Empowerment as Systemic Changemethodology: integrated-legal-advocacyBy combining litigation, legal helplines, and accessible legal information, the organization produces systemic workplace change because empowering individual workers to assert their rights exposes gaps in enforcement and creates pressure for broader policy reform.
- Policy Advocacy Anchored in Lived Experiencemethodology: constituent-led advocacyBy centering constituent voices, worker storytelling, and the needs of marginalized communities in policy campaigns, the organization drives more equitable and effective reforms because lived experience ensures policies address real-world barriers and build authentic public support.