How The Zero Weeks Of Paid Maternity Leave In The U.S. Compare Globally

[ProSense]

How The Zero Weeks Of Paid Maternity Leave In The U.S. Compare Globally

By Amanda Peterson Beadle

Out of 178 nations, the U.S. is one of three that does not offer paid maternity leave benefits, let alone paid leave for fathers, which more than 50 of these nations offer. Here’s how the U.S. stacks up to 14 other countries:



In comparison, Canada and Norway offer generous benefits that can be shared between the father and mother, France offers about four months, and even Mexico and Pakistan are among the nations offer 12 weeks paid leave for mothers.

American women are offered 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, which exempts companies with fewer than 50 paid employees, but in 2011, only 11 percent of private sector workers and 17 percent of public workers reported that they had access to paid maternity leave through their employer. And for first-time mothers, only about half can take paid leave when they give birth.

At the same time that working women in the U.S. lack a benefit widely available across the globe, almost 50 percent of families had two working parents in 2010, and 26 percent of households were headed by single parents. Without guaranteed paid maternity leave, many of these working women face significant financial hardship by having to choose between their paycheck and their families.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/05/24/489973/paid-maternity-leave-us/

[gratuitous]

1. Not just lean, but mean

The continuing excuse will be, "I never got paid time off for having my babies!" And therefore, we can never institute paid maternity leave, until we conquer the space-time continuum and retroactively grant paid maternity leave for everyone. Besides, if we start handing out paid time off, the job creators will has a sad, we'll lose our competitive (or competative, if you're Dan Quayle) edge, and, uh, (whatthehell) the terrorists will win.

Oh, and the childrenareourfuture.

[laundry_queen]

7. LOL

That's pretty much what I've heard in some student loan threads this morning too. Because I didn't get mine, no one else should 'get theirs' either. wahhhhhhhhhh.

That said - paid mat leave benefits everyone socially. I'm glad I live in Canada where everyone gets a year (give or take, depending if you want to split it with your spouse, which is allowable). When I had my first, it was 'only' 6 months and I didn't go back to work simply because she was too little still. I don't even know how women in the US go back after 6 weeks - I was still dealing with an infected c-section incision (that had split open) at 6 weeks. Shit, I can't even imagine having to have to go back to work in that instance - it would've been inhumane.

[Tumbulu]

11. It is inhumane

and a disgrace.

It just shows how motherhood is in fact loathed in the US.

The language itself it an outrage- going back to work- as though caring for a baby is not outrageous work. And recovering from having a baby, as thought hat is child's play......

Don't get me going.....

[LonePirate]

2. I am sure the party that claims to champion family rights will rectify this post haste

Then again, those hypocritical bastards are probably cheering this news.

[Johonny]

3. love ther fetus, hate the child

[Initech]

8. George Carlin said it best - "When you're pre born you're fine, when you're pre school you're fucked!!"

[KansDem]

4. We're in with Papua New Guinea and Swaziland

...the U.S. is one of three that does not offer paid maternity leave benefits.

USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!

[mythology]

6. With hard work and continued efforts,

I'm sure that we can find a way to make ourselves number 1 all by ourselves. Perhaps giving birth could be a cause for firing or losing insurance as giving birth is kind of expensive.

That said, I think 50 weeks is excessive.

[laundry_queen]

9. It isn't excessive. It's a sane, humane way to treat families.

And it's not all 50 weeks mat leave. 15 weeks is mat leave and 35 weeks is parental leave. The parental leave can be taken by either parent, or split up and taken by both parents however they want. Plus, I think it's important to note that what you receive is only a percentage of what you would normally make - much like unemployment insurance. When I went on mat leave (15 yrs ago when it was only 6 months) I only got 50% of my salary.

I'm sure I'll hear someone whining about people who don't have kids don't get mat leave and how it isn't fair and so on. However, many of us in countries that care about others believe it's a long term benefit to society to offer these sorts of things. And I think the chart is wrong - I'm pretty sure Canada isn't the longest, I'm certain there are some European countries that have mat/parental leave up to 2 years.

[Tumbulu]

12. You are correct and in some countries it is 3 years

but they call it something else.

It is ludicrous to punish women for having children, but force them to bear them...the republican way.

And it is a cruel punishment to force a mother back to paid work soon after giving birth.

[Initech]

10. Makes you wonder why people still live here.

We don't make anything. Other than war, bullshit, and boner pills. We don't give paid vacation, we don't gimme paid maternity leave. We charge unbelievably ridiculous prices for health care when other countries give it for free. We don't tax the rich but we pay them. USA! USA!

[Zorra]

5. We, the people, seriously need to tombstone the system. It's FUBAR. nt

[redqueen]

13. What we really need is *parental* leave.

Both parents need time to bond with the new baby, and it helps to have two people sharing the duties and lack of sleep.

[Nye Bevan]

18. +1. If paid maternal leave is mandated, but not paid paternal leave,

companies will be more reluctant to hire women of childbearing age.

[maggiesfarmer]

14. I personally believe that one of the biggest problems the world faces is over-population of humans

I would not be in support of new financial incentives to breed. i think the FMLA which guarantees parents their job after returning from leave is appropriate and reasonable. what is the logic that leads to the conclusion that new parents should get more paid time off than employees who choose not to breed? I don't think any compelling argument can be made that the human race (species?) is in danger of dying out due to this.

I use the word "choose" here because we still live in a country where both birth control and abortion are legal and available (for now).

[Puzzledtraveller]

15. I find myself agreeing with you

Eventhough not for all the same reasons. Im not particularly convinced we are overpopulated, from a strict measurement of available habitable surface area against human population, I know it's a meaningless comparison but my thinking is very linear like that.

[Tumbulu]

17. And I believe that it is this exact sentiment that creates the "punish the woman who gives birth"

scenario we have in the US.

Any woman who gives birth has gone through a hell of an experience and 6 weeks is not enough time for most women to really be able to go back out in the dog eat dog world and still have enough energy to resume the care of the infant after paid work hours. It should be standard disability insurance type stuff. Or a fund one can put money into.

Parental leave is really for society as parents who can care for their children properly are producing the productive people of the future.

Parental leave is hardly an incentive to "breed". If you want to control the population, then perhaps other ways should be employed- but simply making it miserable to be a parent is not the solution (IMO).

[Scurrilous]

16. K & R