U.S. Paid Leave Policies Lag Behind
The fifth in a seven-part series by guest blogger Erin Barone for Family Forward Oregon, sharing insights from their action + discussion group The High Cost of Motherhood . ————————————— The United States is one of only five nations across the globe that provide no paid maternity leave. The other four? Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea. Take a look at this visual map . It’s pretty striking. (To see the map, choose “Pregnancy, Birth or Adoption” from the left menu, then choose the “Global Map” button, then “Duration of Paid Leave for Mothers” then “Get Map.”) Surprising, yes, but keep in mind it wasn’t all that long ago that it was legal to advertise gender-specific job openings. The struggle for a family and medical leave policy has a long history in the United States. While some wanted to dissuade women from entering the work force, and companies feared the expense, feminists too had problems with maternity leave. They wanted women to be treated equally and, in their view, a woman’s place in the workforce could too easily be damaged by a focus on maternity leave. It took years of debate (and two vetoed bills) before President Clinton finally signed the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) into law in 1993, just 19 years ago. So how does our family leave compare to leave policies in other countries? Let’s look at France. As a French mother, I would be given anywhere from 16 weeks (at 84 percent of my salary) to three years (with some form of reduced pay) of leave. If I were a single mother, I would receive regular government support payments until my child turned 3. And all French families, regardless of income, receive a family allowance that is more generous than any tax deduction or credit the United States offers. It’s true the French government instituted these policies to combat a declining birth rate by encouraging families to have more children, but it’s important to note that that part of their plan hasn’t worked. As a matter of fact, French families have slightly fewer children than families in the United States. What the policies do is reduce the number of children living in poverty. An unacceptable 20 percent of all U.S. children ages 17 and under live in poverty compared to about 8 percent in France. And the United States doesn’t just fall behind other countries when it comes to paid maternity leave. Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway provide generous paid maternity leaves (about 30 to 42 weeks or more) as well as separate paid paternity leave, shorter work weeks, significantly more vacation time, high-quality and affordable childcare and a well-funded public education system. By stark contrast, a new mom in the United States is allowed 12 weeks of unpaid leave if she works for a company with 50 or more employees. Period. Childcare easily can cost as much as she earns. And we all know what the funding situation for our public schools looks like here in Oregon. In her book The Invisible Heart: Economics and Family Values (New Press, 2002) , Nancy Folbre takes a hard look at the programs the United States has in place to support families and children. Not only do we lag behind other countries in public support for families with young children, funding for these programs is declining – and they’re inequitable and often insufficient to achieve their goals. The repercussions of weak family leave policies and ineffective public assistance programs are huge – for families, our economy and our communities. From increased infant mortality rates to depression in mothers to lower cognitive test scores in children to poverty later in life, especially for women. The truth is, when workers get paid time off to get treatment for an illness or to care for a new baby or an ill family member, they stay employed longer. So while it may seem counterintuitive at first, offering paid leave leads to more economic security for families, which is cheaper for taxpayers, and people stay employed longer, which is good for employers. It’s time to catch up with the rest of the world. It’s time to catch up with those countries that have already realized the benefits of supporting pregnant women, families and young children. The examples are out there, with years of data to help us craft a robust and family-friendly economy. Learn more about the benefits of paid family leave: The Effects of Paid Family and Medical Leave on Employment Stability and Economic Security Rutgers Study Finds Paid Family Leave Leads to Positive Economic Outcomes Next Week’s Conversation: Next week it’s time to start thinking about solutions. What are the building blocks of a family-friendly economy? What looks promising for Oregon? Who are our allies and where do we want to start? Share Your Thoughts: What are your thoughts on the questions posed above (under “Next Week’s Conversation”)? What do YOU want for the future?
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U.S. Paid Leave Policies Lag Behind
