"I told my doctor that I wanted my tubes tied. The doctor said, 'You need to think about this more.' It baffles me that our society still doesn't trust women to know their own minds and wants."
Is that really what the complaint is? Not that we don’t have it, but that what we have is pathetically low? I agree that 6 months to a year would be far better, but it’s inaccurate to say we get none when it seems that most companies do offer it.
The US literally has no mandated paid maternal leave, let alone paid paternal leave.
The U.S. is the only OECD member country—and one of only six countries in the world—without a national paid parental leave policy. The U.S. is also one of the few high-income countries without a national family caregiving or medical leave policy.
Do you not see how shit the situation is in the US compared to the norm in the developed world?
I recognize how bad it is in so many areas, but I don’t have the experience of parental leave being non existent, which is why I’m trying to get others opinions and experiences. Like yes, it’s not mandated, and because of that it’s shorter than in countries that do mandate longer leave, but saying it’s worse than other countries is very different than saying it doesn’t exist. Unless we’re saying a lack of mandate anyway. I’d love to see it be a year-long requirement. Not even an option, else people will be pressured by being asked if they really need that much time, or veiled threats of missing out on promotions or raises because they took their time.
I’m not trying to defend the current system either, though it seems I’m being taken that way. I’m just actually curious how many people actually get absolutely no parental leave.
This is about mandatory parental leave (as in mandatory for there to be the option for paid parental leave), because we know labour protection is necessary, because even with it, we hardly get to that level.
The Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and the United States are the only seven countries in the United Nations that do not require employers to provide paid time off for new parents.
How can you pretend your personal experience has anything to do with this? It’s like someone pointing out extremely high cancer rates linked to something in my country and I go “well I don’t have cancer so it can’t be that bad.”
No one ever says “mandatory” when discussing this though, which is why I’ve been a bit confused about the issue. Would have saved me a lot of confusion.
The original article doesn’t mention mandatory, nor does most anyone commenting on social media platforms say mandatory. The original article goes out of its way to mention exception for specific federal government jobs, but never mentions mandatory. They just say that there’s no parental leave in the US except for some fed jobs. In fact, rarely do people specify paid as you have. Which makes me second guess a few former employers as to if it was paid or not. I know for sure it was paid leave at the vast majority of my previous employers
The article you linked (thanks for that, good information in there) says 80% of employers don’t offer leave, which seems crazy because even my first jobs for part time minimum wage offered paid leave for full-time employees. Possibly because I worked for a big chain, maybe it’s the small businesses that don’t offer leave, but is 80% of the US labor force working for small businesses or as contract/gig jobs? Or is this another case of major employers not allowing people to work full time to avoid having to provide them benefits?
Regardless, it’s clear that the right move is mandatory paid parental leave. I know anything companies provide that isn’t legally required can be canceled at a whim.
The US is in the group of seven countries which do not mandate maternal let alone paternal leave.
This is a cold hard fact. Stop crying over living in a shithole and get out of that denial. The US does not have legally mandated maternal leave. No-one in the US has the default legal right to that. Because it’s not enshrined in law. As a mandatory thing for employers to do.
Kinda how it’s mandatory to pay taxes.
“Story doesn’t even use the word” are you on crack?
The original article doesn’t mention mandatory
It’s the literal title.
That’s how the word is used.
Just the other day I was talking about how ironic it is how often I end up teaching Americans English.
4-12 weeks of maternity leave is depressingly low. 2-4 weeks of paternity is insultingly low.
People should be given a year. Paid. It’s really impactful for the child and family.
Agreed. And they do here in Denmark, by law.
Is that really what the complaint is? Not that we don’t have it, but that what we have is pathetically low? I agree that 6 months to a year would be far better, but it’s inaccurate to say we get none when it seems that most companies do offer it.
The US literally has no mandated paid maternal leave, let alone paid paternal leave.
The U.S. is the only OECD member country—and one of only six countries in the world—without a national paid parental leave policy. The U.S. is also one of the few high-income countries without a national family caregiving or medical leave policy.
Do you not see how shit the situation is in the US compared to the norm in the developed world?
I recognize how bad it is in so many areas, but I don’t have the experience of parental leave being non existent, which is why I’m trying to get others opinions and experiences. Like yes, it’s not mandated, and because of that it’s shorter than in countries that do mandate longer leave, but saying it’s worse than other countries is very different than saying it doesn’t exist. Unless we’re saying a lack of mandate anyway. I’d love to see it be a year-long requirement. Not even an option, else people will be pressured by being asked if they really need that much time, or veiled threats of missing out on promotions or raises because they took their time.
I’m not trying to defend the current system either, though it seems I’m being taken that way. I’m just actually curious how many people actually get absolutely no parental leave.
But it literally doesn’t exist.
This is about mandatory parental leave (as in mandatory for there to be the option for paid parental leave), because we know labour protection is necessary, because even with it, we hardly get to that level.
How can you pretend your personal experience has anything to do with this? It’s like someone pointing out extremely high cancer rates linked to something in my country and I go “well I don’t have cancer so it can’t be that bad.”
No one ever says “mandatory” when discussing this though, which is why I’ve been a bit confused about the issue. Would have saved me a lot of confusion.
You’re not confused, you’re being obtuse.
No? Or could it be that once again, you’re extrapolating from your biased personal experiences?
Why doesn’t the US have mandated paid maternity leave?
Mandatory for it to be provided.
It is mandated for the employer to give paid parental leave.
The US does not have this mandate.
The original article doesn’t mention mandatory, nor does most anyone commenting on social media platforms say mandatory. The original article goes out of its way to mention exception for specific federal government jobs, but never mentions mandatory. They just say that there’s no parental leave in the US except for some fed jobs. In fact, rarely do people specify paid as you have. Which makes me second guess a few former employers as to if it was paid or not. I know for sure it was paid leave at the vast majority of my previous employers
The article you linked (thanks for that, good information in there) says 80% of employers don’t offer leave, which seems crazy because even my first jobs for part time minimum wage offered paid leave for full-time employees. Possibly because I worked for a big chain, maybe it’s the small businesses that don’t offer leave, but is 80% of the US labor force working for small businesses or as contract/gig jobs? Or is this another case of major employers not allowing people to work full time to avoid having to provide them benefits?
Regardless, it’s clear that the right move is mandatory paid parental leave. I know anything companies provide that isn’t legally required can be canceled at a whim.
You’re disagreeing with facts.
The US is in the group of seven countries which do not mandate maternal let alone paternal leave.
This is a cold hard fact. Stop crying over living in a shithole and get out of that denial. The US does not have legally mandated maternal leave. No-one in the US has the default legal right to that. Because it’s not enshrined in law. As a mandatory thing for employers to do.
Kinda how it’s mandatory to pay taxes.
“Story doesn’t even use the word” are you on crack?
It’s the literal title.
That’s how the word is used.
Just the other day I was talking about how ironic it is how often I end up teaching Americans English.