Parental Leave Policies in 21 Countries: Assessing Generosity and Gender Equality

This report examines the parental leave policies in 21 high-income nations and identifies five "best practices" for parental leave policies. The study shows that the U.S. has the least generous leave policies of the 21 countries examined in the report. The states exhibiting the five best practices include Finland, France, Greece, Norway, Spain, and Sweden

Supports for Working Families: Work and Care Policies across Welfare States

Familienpolitik, Sozialpolitik, Sozialstaat, Eltern, Erwerbstätigkeit, Familie, Kinderbetreuung, Vereinigte Staaten, Westeuropa, Family policy, Social policy, Welfare state, Parents, Labour force participation, Family, Child care, United states, Western

Parental Leave Policies in 21 Countries: Assessing Generosity and Gender Equality

This report examines the parental leave policies in 21 high-income nations and identifies five "best practices" for parental leave policies. The study shows that the U.S. has the least generous leave policies of the 21 countries examined in the report. The states exhibiting the five best practices include Finland, France, Greece, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.parental leave

Presentation: Gornick & Meyers

Presentation by Janet C. Gornick, City University of New York and Marcia K. Meyers, University of Washington on Families That Work: Policies for Reconciling Parenthood and Employment, for the event: The Great American Time Squeeze: The Politics of Work and Family in a 24/7 World on March 3, 2005

Netting down gross earnings data in the LIS database: an evaluation of two procedures

LIS researchers who seek to perform country-comparative and / or trend analyses have to account for the fact that in some LIS datasets income variables were reported net of taxes and social security contributions, while in other datasets income variables were reported gross of taxes and social security contributions. In this technical paper we discuss, develop, and evaluate two `netting down procedures' that help reduce bias that would be introduced by directly comparing net and gross datasets. Results of evaluating the performance of these netting down procedures indicate that the validity of the comparison of net and gross datasets can be greatly improved when netting down procedures are applied. In several cases, however, substantial amounts of bias remain

Supporting the Employment of Mothers: Policy Variation Across Fourteen Welfare States

Despite their broadly similar political and economic systems, the rates and patterns of mothers\u27 employment vary considerably across industrialized countries. This variation raises questions about the role played by government policies in enabling mothers to choose employment and, in turn, in shaping both gender equality and family economic well-being. This paper compares fourteen OECD countries, as of the middle-to-late 1980s, with respect to their provision of policies that support mothers\u27 employment: parental leave, child care, and the scheduling of public education. Newly gathered data on eighteen policy indicators are presented; these indicators were chosen to capture support for maternal employment, regardless of national intent. The indicators are then standardized, weighted, and summed into indices. By differentiating policies that affect maternal employment from family policies more generally, while simultaneously aggregating individual policies and policy features into policy packages , these indices reveal dramatic cross-national differences in policy provisions. The empirical results reveal loose clusters of countries that correspond only partially to prevailing welfare state typologies. For mothers with preschool-aged children, only five of the fourteen countries provided reasonably complete and continuous benefits that supported their options for combining paid work with family responsibilities. In the remaining countries, government provisions were much more limited or discontinuous. The pattern of cross-national policy variation changed notably when policies affecting mothers with older children were examined. The links between these findings and three sets of outcomes are considered. The indices provide an improved measure of public support for maternal employment and are expected to help explain cross-national differences in the level and continuity of women\u27s labor market attachment. Prior findings on women\u27s labor supply provide initial support for this conclusion. These indices are also useful for contrasting family benefits that are provided through direct cash transfers with those that take the form of support for mothers\u27 employment. Cross-national variation in combinations of transfers with employment supports is found to correspond to differences in child poverty rates. Finally, these policy findings contribute to the body of scholarship that seeks to integrate gender issues more explicitly into research on welfare state regimes. This study suggests that the country clusters identified in the dominant regime model fail to cohere with respect to the subset of family policies that specifically help women to combine paid work with parenting

Knowledge regarding and patterns of genetic testing in patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer participating in the iCanDecide trial

BackgroundThe current study reports rates of knowledge regarding the probability of a BRCA1 and/or S pathogenic variant and genetic testing in patients with breast cancer, collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a tailored, comprehensive, and interactive decision tool (iCanDecide).MethodsA total of 537 patients newly diagnosed with early‐stage breast cancer were enrolled at the time of their first visit in 22 surgical practices, and were surveyed 5 weeks (496 patients; Response Rate [RR], 92%) after enrollment after treatment decision making. Primary outcomes included knowledge regarding the probability of carrying a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant and genetic testing after diagnosis.ResultsOverall knowledge regarding the probability of having a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant was low (29.8%). Significantly more patients in the intervention group compared with the control group had knowledge regarding the probability of a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant (35.8% vs 24.4%; P <.006). In multivariable logistic regression, the intervention arm remained significantly associated with knowledge regarding the probability of having a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant (odds ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.18‐2.70).ConclusionsThe results of the current study suggest that although knowledge concerning the probability of having a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant remains low in this patient population, the interactive decision tool improved rates compared with a static Web site. As interest in genetic testing continues to rise, so will the need to integrate tools into the treatment decision process to improve informed decision making.As interest in genetic testing increases, so will the need to integrate tools into the treatment decision process. Results from the current study suggest that although knowledge regarding the probability of a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 pathogenic variant remains low in this patient population, the interactive decision tool improved rates compared with a static Web site.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146553/1/cncr31731.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146553/2/cncr31731_am.pd

Interpretations of the Term “Actionable” when Discussing Genetic Test Results: What you Mean Is Not What I Heard

In genomic medicine, the familiarity and inexactness of the term “actionable” can lead to multiple interpretations and mistaken beliefs about realistic treatment options. As part of a larger study focusing on public attitudes toward policies for the return of secondary genomic results, we looked at how members of the lay public interpret the term “medically actionable” in the context of genetic testing. We also surveyed a convenience sample of oncologists as part of a separate study and asked them to define the term “medically actionable.” After being provided with a definition of the term, 21 out of 60 (35%) layperson respondents wrote an additional action not specified in the provided definition (12 mentioned “cure” and 9 mentioned environment or behavioral change) and 17 (28%) indicated “something can be done” with no action specified. In contrast, 52 surveyed oncologists did not mention environment, behavioral change, or cure. Based on our findings, we propose that rather than using the term “actionable” alone, providers should also say “what they mean” to reduce miscommunication and confusion that could negatively impact medical decision‐making. Lastly, to guide clinicians during patient‐ provider discussion about genetic test results, we provide examples of phrasing to facilitate clearer communication and understanding of the term “actionable.”Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149289/1/jgc41064.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149289/2/jgc41064_am.pd

Next‐generation sequencing in precision oncology: Patient understanding and expectations

BackgroundImplementation of precision oncology interventions poses several challenges to informed consent and patient education. This study assessed cancer patients’ understanding, expectations, and outcomes regarding participation in research examining the impact of matched tumor and germline sequencing on their clinical care.MethodsA total of 297 patients (mean age: 59 years; 50% female; 96% white) with refractory, metastatic cancer were surveyed, including 217 who completed surveys both before and after undergoing integrated whole exome and transcriptome sequencing as part of a larger clinical research study.ResultsAt baseline, the vast majority of patients expected to receive several potential direct benefits from study participation, including written reports of sequencing findings (88%), greater understanding of the causes of their cancer (74%), and participation in clinical trials for which sequencing results would make them eligible (84%). In most cases, these benefits were not realized by study completion. Despite explanations from study personnel to the contrary, most participants (67%‐76%) presumed that incidental germline sequencing findings relevant to noncancerous health conditions (eg, diabetes) would automatically be disclosed to them. Patients reported low levels of concern about study risks at baseline and low levels of regret about study participation at follow‐up.ConclusionsFindings suggest that cancer patients participating in precision oncology intervention research have largely unfulfilled expectations of direct benefits related to their study participation. Increased focus on patient education to supplement the informed consent process may help manage patients’ expectations regarding the extent and likelihood of benefits received as a result of undergoing genomic sequencing.This study assessed cancer patients’ understanding and expectations regarding participation in research examining the impact of matched tumor and germline sequencing on their clinical care. Findings suggest that cancer patients participating in precision oncology intervention research have largely unfulfilled expectations of direct benefits related to their study participation. Increased focus on patient education to supplement the informed consent process may help manage patients’ expectations regarding the extent and likelihood of benefits received as a result of undergoing genomic sequencing.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147745/1/cam41947.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147745/2/cam41947_am.pd

Blurred Boundaries: Gender and Work-Family Interference in Cross-National Context

Although well theorized at the individual level, previous research has neglected the role of national context in shaping overall levels of nonwork-work and work-nonwork interference. This study fills this gap by examining how a national context of gender empowerment affects the likelihood of experiencing nonwork-work and work-nonwork interference at the individual and national levels. Controlling for individual-level differences in the distribution of job demands and resources, results from our multilevel models indicate that women's empowerment has significant net gender and parenthood effects on nonwork-work interference. By contrast, gender empowerment equally structures work-nonwork interference for these groups. Our results highlight the need to investigate interference bidirectionally and in a multilevel context. © The Author(s) 2013