Fri Dec 5, 2014, 10:41 PM

The US is still the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave

The US is still the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave

The US supreme court is hearing a pregnancy discrimination case that could have far-reaching effects for American women who work through their pregnancies

Jessica Valenti: Why doesn’t the US do more to help pregnant women?

Link to interactive: http://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/2014/12/2014-12-maternity-leave/

The US supreme court on Wednesday is hearing the case of 42-year-old Peggy Young, who sued her employer, UPS, for pregnancy discrimination. Young claims the shipping company refused to accommodate her pregnancy by giving her a temporary assignment to avoid lifting heavy packages.

But as the case unfolds, the US continues to shirk an even more basic pregnancy accommodation: maternity leave.

The US is the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity or parental leave to workers. It’s an often-cited statistic, but one which should continue to shock us.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/03/-sp-america-only-developed-country-paid-maternity-leave

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3 replies	Author	Time	Post
The US is still the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave (Original post)	newthinking	Dec 2014	OP
My state has maternal and paternal.	Socal31	Dec 2014	#1
Is it paid?	newthinking	Dec 2014	#2
This isn't surprising,	area51	Dec 2014	#3

Response to newthinking (Original post)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 11:24 PM

Socal31 (2,481 posts)

1. My state has maternal and paternal.

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Response to Socal31 (Reply #1)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 11:30 PM

newthinking (3,982 posts)

2. Is it paid?

Most countries consider it essential to the welfare of children.

We know a lot about "attachment syndrome" in this country (in regards to adoption), but we never think through what it does to children under a year to leave them every day in a strangers home. And we wonder why our society is having more and more (anti) social problems?

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Response to newthinking (Original post)

Sat Dec 6, 2014, 03:54 AM

area51 (11,482 posts)

3. This isn't surprising,

given that we're also the only industrialized country whose citizens don't have a right to health care.

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