Toward Universal Work-Related Benefits

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the important role benefits play in workers’ lives. Paid leave, health insurance, workers’ compensation, and retirement plans cushion life events and equip workers to live safe and dignified lives. Our current system of benefits, though, leaves behind millions of workers. This event will explore how to make work-related benefits accessible to more people, including public and private sector approaches to portable and universal benefits. Hear from a panel of leaders who have worked on innovative benefits programs for workers, covering a range of sectors and benefits. Each will speak about their efforts to expand benefits to more workers, share lessons learned, and offer insights for others interested in developing new approaches. Speakers include Lise Anderson (Assistant Executive Director, Writers Guild of America West), Andrew Greenblatt (Executive Director, IDG Benefits Fund), Palak Shah (Social Innovations Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance), and moderator Anmol Chaddha (Principal, Reimagining Capitalism, Omidyar Network). The Economic Opportunities Program’s Opportunity in America discussion series has moved to an all-virtual format as we all do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the conversations about the changing landscape of economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country remain vitally important. We hope you will participate as we bring our discussions to you in virtual formats, and we look forward to your feedback. We are grateful to Prudential Financial, Walmart.org, the Surdna Foundation, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth for their support of this series.