The United States of America’s laws surrounding parental leave are outdated and need change. The Cambridge Dictionary as ‘time that a parent is allowed to spend away from work to take care of his or her baby’.
Policies surrounding parental leave differ from country to country. Papua, New Guinea, and the United States are the only countries that deny women leave off their jobs. The United States which has the world’s second highest Gross Development Product is the only developed country who does not offer proper parental leave.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (1993) guarantees a women working in a business with at least 50 employees for 12 weeks of maternity leave, without pay.
“It should definitely be changed,” Newtown High School English teacher, Jacquie Kaplan said. For many women this time is not enough. This may create an emotional strain on the mother and child's bond. Even causing lower quality interactions between the mother and child post maternity leave.
“The time spent with a child following birth is so important for bonding and beginning to build a relationship, It is beyond beneficial, it is necessary,” NHS English teacher, Wendy LaBarge.
“I think there’s a lot of bonding and trust that builds early in the relationship and I think, just as students need to feel supported by their teachers and have trust in them to learn, babies are the same,” LaBarge goes on to say. Recent research suggests a child's early separation from their mother will affect the child's cognitive ability. A child's environment really does affect their development of their emotional security, learning skills and self-esteem. This leads today's mothers to take as much time as possible before they must go back to work.
“I spent 13 weeks on maternity leave. Eight weeks paid and five weeks paid,” NHS English teacher, Kristen English said.
“April 1st, 2015 my insurance ran out,” said English. Once this happens many women are forced back into the workplace.
“It shouldn’t have to be an emotional decision,” English finally says.
“I took 5 months off with my second child,” Kaplan said.
“It wasn’t financially feasible to take any more time off,” she continues. Many American women face the reality of not being able to go on leave at all. Others shorten the amount of time they spend on leave.
“The environment of our school is always supportive of us,” Kaplan comments. But still women in the Newtown District are offered a year of leave without pay and health insurance. This is a risky option considering many of these women have just delivered a child. Health benefits at this time can be crucial. This forces these women to use their vacation days that they have accumulated over the years to help spend time with their child.
Between 1980 and 1998, the labor force participation rate of mothers went from 38% to 59%. This shows an increasing trend of women balancing their children and work. This can stressful for moms. It also keeps raising the question; will the U.S ever amend their parental leave policy?
Recent politics has shed light on the topic. Many believe depending on who the next president, there may be a change in parental leave.
Sadly, Congress does not see it as the biggest issue. Although the U.S has the least developed policy out of every developed country on Earth,.
“Leading up to maternity and the beginning of my leave I’ve spent a lot of time being envious of other countries that structure parental leave in a way that feels more supportive of allowing a family to grow and bond together,” said LaBarge. Norway and Sweden offer at least 18 weeks of paid leave. Day Care is subsidized. Over much of Europe a flexi work schedule is common as well.
“We have a leave system that delegates to mothers,” Kaplan said. She acknowledges the fact that many fathers do not get any time off with their child.
“My husband got only two weeks. By the time I was out of the hospital it was practically finished,” English said. Paternal leave has become a bigger topic of late. The U.S does not guarantee men any time off at all.
“I wish my husband was able to spend more time at home with us to bond as well - the birth of a child is not just between mother and baby, it is between all members of the existing family,” LaBarge said.
“Sadly, a lot of the time it comes down to who makes more money,” said NHS Guidance Counselor, Jeffrey Tolson. Most women earn on average 79% of their male counterparts salary. This really does affect who stays home. Many families must keep in mind that it’s not only a crucial time emotionally, but economically as well.
“I think it discriminates against the family, too,” LaBarge comments. This affects the entire family unit. Everyone is affected when a child is born. Everyone is put under emotional and economic stress.
As time goes on, there will be more social change in the U.S. The country needs to start questioning the laws affecting everyday people. Maternity leave is an issue that gets little attention. It affect the majority of American families.
Image Courtesy of dss.gov.au