Civil Rights Law at Work: Sex Discrimination and the Rise of Maternity

@article{Policies1999CivilRL,
  title={Civil Rights Law at Work: Sex Discrimination and the Rise of Maternity},
  author={Leave Policies and Erin L. Kelly and Frank Dobbin},
  journal={American Journal of Sociology},
  year={1999},
  volume={105},
  pages={455 - 492}
}
By the time Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, many employers had created maternity leave programs. Analysts argue that they did so in response to the feminization of the workforce. This study charts the spread of maternity leave policies between 1955 and 1985 in a sample of 279 organizations. Sex discrimination law played a key role in the rise of maternity leave policies. Building on neoinstitutional theory, this article explores how the separation of powers shapes… Expand
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266 Citations

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