Yesterday Michelle Obama spoke at a luncheon for the National Partnership for Women and Families. According to the New York Times, Obama “called for an expansion of family and medical leave benefits, health care reform and equality of wages between men and women. “Believe me, when we’re paid less, we know it,” she said.“I’ve always been, and will probably always be in some way shape or form, a working mom,” Mrs. Obama told the mostly female crowd, adding that she and her husband have been able to make their busy lives work.” She continued, “I used to get up in the morning and go to an office. Now I get up and go to a plane. ... My kids still don’t care where I am,” she said. “They’ve always known two parents to work in the household and as long as we’re back in time for bedtime, they could care less where we are.”

Of all the issues a potential first lady could talk about, I feel this is the most crucial. Our legislators are slowly making positive changes to family and medical leave (the most recent was the House’s passing of the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2008). This act allows federal workers “four weeks of paid administrative leave, at regular salary, to federal workers, to be taken within one year of when babies are born or adopted. Right now, 75 percent of Fortune 100 companies provide an average of six to eight weeks of paid leave to new mothers, but federal employees who become parents are entitled only to unpaid leave under the Family & Medical Leave Act. Many cannot afford to take the unpaid leave that law provides.” One hopes this would provide a model for companies in the private sector to restructure their paid leave policies.

But it’s not just about maternity leave. Two working parents means something must give. I say it’s the outdated notion that work consists of eight (or 10, or 12, or 14) straight hours at a desk. And I’m not alone. There are many movements afoot to create structural changes in how we work, from ROWE’s (Results Only Work Environment) to MCC (Mass Career Customization). But you don’t need an acronym to start talking about change. I’m so glad Michelle Obama is doing just that.