US 'losing out' over paid maternity leave: UN

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

US 'losing out' over paid maternity leave: UN
13 May 2014

The United States is one of just three countries not to guarantee any paid maternity leave, a policy that costs the country dearly, the UN's labour agency said Tuesday.

Only Papua New Guinea, Oman and the United States -- the world's largest economy -- do not require employers to provide paid leave, according to an International Labour Organization report published Tuesday entitled "The State of Maternity and Paternity at Work". Under US national law, all new mothers can take up to 12 weeks off after giving birth, but without the guaranteed right to compensation. "Definitely, the (US) society is losing out," said Laura Addati, a maternity protection and work-family specialist at the ILO.

Elsewhere in the world, the report showed countries were generally raising mandatory cash benefits and extending the amount of time both mothers and fathers can stay home after the birth of a child.

Eastern European and Central Asian countries were the most generous, with public funds providing women in Croatia for instance 100 percent of their salary during a year-long maternity leave.


Read more: http://www.afp.com/en/news/us-losing-out-over-paid-maternity-leave-un

[davidpdx]

1. They have maternity leave here in South Korea

I have no idea whether it is paid or unpaid. The problem they have here is the population decline (I believe it is around 1.2 per 1,000) so they have to encourage people to go home and do the funky thing and have babies. More people are choosing to either have just one or be childless. I think they get daycare subsidies as well. It would be a good deal if you wanted to have kids (don't look at me though, I'm happy without them).

[taught_me_patience]

2. Losing out on what? How are we losing out?

this terrible article doesn't make that clear.

[CTyankee]

3. I think they make the case for it in the body of the article, which I think is very good.

It said the U.S. society is losing out and it is. Societies benefit greatly from having generous maternity/paternity leave with pay at some level. All this RW talk about how important the family is turns out to be garbage. We live in a backward country on so many vital issues.