Women Employed

🧸 Thinking about starting a childcare business? Join our partners 🤝🏽 at Women's Business Development Center for this virtual session designed to help aspiring childcare providers move from idea to action. Participants will learn about licensing and legal requirements, choosing the right setup, building a business plan and budget, and marketing childcare services to families.

📌 Event: How to Start your Childcare Business: From Vision to Reality
🗓️ Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
📍 Location: Virtual via Zoom
💵 Cost: Free
🔗 Register: https://ow.ly/qPxw50Z8MAp

📢 Effective July 1, 2026, the Cook County Minimum Wage for non-tipped workers will increase to $15.40 and the minimum wage for tipped workers will increase to $9.25.

The updated "Notice to Employees" and "Frequently Asked Questions" documents are available here: https://ow.ly/X6Qz50Z8vpa

Employees who believe their employer is not paying the required minimum wage should first check to ensure the municipality where they work does not have a different minimum
wage. If the municipality has not opted out, employees can file a complaint with the Cook County Commission on Human Rights.
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📢 A partir del 1 de julio de 2026, el salario mínimo del condado de Cook para los trabajadores que no reciben propinas aumentará a $15.40 y el salario mínimo para los trabajadores que reciben propinas aumentará a $9.25.

Los documentos actualizados "Aviso a los empleados" y "Preguntas frecuentes" están disponibles aquí: https://ow.ly/X6Qz50Z8vpa

Los empleados que creen que su empleador no está pagando el salario mínimo requerido primero deben verificar para asegurarse de que el municipio donde trabajan no tenga un salario mínimo diferente. Si el municipio no ha optado por no participar, los empleados pueden presentar una queja ante la Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Condado de Cook.

WE were happy to support the Illinois Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act last year, effective as of last Monday, making Illinois only the second state in the nation to offer NICU-specific leave for parents.

Now, Illinois parents who work for employers with 16+ employees have a legal right to take unpaid time off to be with their child; up to 10 or 20 days, depending on the size of their employer. For employees who are already eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, it can be taken after that leave is exhausted.

The law, although unpaid leave, should hopefully give parents of the tiniest patients a little more time to breathe. But, every NICU family should have rights to paid leave in the United States. That's why WE are fighting for Paid Leave for All!

Read more here: https://ow.ly/QpWo50Z8fcP

Stop. Listen. Do you hear that? It's the sound of advocacy in action. The sound of press conferences about the need for living wages for all. The sound of victory as a bill that safeguards Civil Rights was voted out of committee and moved to the Senate floor. The sounds of joy and celebration from supporters helping us harness The Power of WE to ensure that women have the resources and pathways to thrive. And much, much more.

Find out more about "Where in the World is Women Employed" here: https://ow.ly/kBBX50Z5QgR

Please join us tomorrow morning for a Pathways to Opportunity webinar, Stronger Together: Collaboration for Survivors Employment, presented by Futures Without Violence, Women Employed and Corporation for a Skilled Workforce.

Building employment pathways for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sexual harassment (DVSASSH) requires more than any single system can provide.

This interactive webinar explores how trauma-informed cross-sector collaboration between victim service, education and workforce development providers creates safer and more accessible employment opportunities for survivors. Through real-world examples and guided discussion, you’ll gain actionable strategies to strengthen partnerships, align goals and build a more effective continuum of care that supports employment outcomes for survivors.

💡 WEBINAR: Stronger Together: Collaboration for Survivors Employment
📅 Thursday, May 28th, 2026
⏰ 11 AM PST / 2 PM EST
🗣️ Spanish and ASL interpretation will be provided
🔗 Register today at www.tinyurl.com/futurespathways

Women are driving the growth of America’s workforce, but the pay gap hasn’t caught up.

The 75 Million's new research report, Women Are Leading The Next Decade of Job Growth, finds that 58% of the projected fastest-growing occupations through 2034 are led by women. Women are shaping the future of work, yet they’re still earning an average of just 85 cents on the dollar.

Progress shouldn’t come with a pay cut.

🔗 Read the report here: https://ow.ly/5vF650Z3Bu5