A Black Lives Matter protest more accessible to those in the disabled community is being organized for next Friday in Portsmouth.
A year ago, most working parents — particularly mothers — would have said that it was difficult to balance the demands of home life and work. That’s before the coronavirus hit, shutting down schools and daycares, disrupting routines, and forcing more than 1 million people from the workforce in September alone. Most of the people who left the workforce were women, who were twice as likely as men to blame their departure on lack of childcare.
Federal, state programs put focus on long-debated policy
By Bob Sanders
NH Business Review
For Nikki Curran of Windham, it didn’t seem she had much of a choice. Her employer for the last 11 years, Autism Bridges, a private company headquartered in Bedford, had closed its four therapy centers in three states in response to Covid-19.
Instead, the firm sent its staffers into clients’ homes. But Curran was afraid to go. The Windham schools had sent their students home, and Curran’s 12-year-old son has chronic breathing issues, putting him at high risk should he get the virus.
“We are very careful and very scared,” said Curran.
At first, she and her husband — who teaches middle school in Derry and was soon working remotely — juggled their schedule. But on April 1, Autism Bridges gave Curran roughly half-time office work and some telemedicine jobs and provided her with paid family leave for the rest.
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