MOTHERS changing the conversation @ www.MothersOughtToHaveEqualRights.org
Opponents of paid family leave object to its expense and its tedious implementation. They may grudgingly agree that yeah, it would be nice, but insist we just can't afford it. This argument has been made so loudly for so long it has lodged into the public consciousness. Paid family leave is seen as a perk, a benefit, something extra that some lucky professionals at the upper reaches of the income scale may get, but nothing that a typical worker has a right to. Surprisingly, this really is a minority view, as most countries around the globe, and certainly all advanced, industrialized countries, provide paid parental leave as a matter of course when a baby is born or adopted.
Human Rights Watch, a global charity protecting and advocating for the exploited and oppressed, recently published a lengthy report laying out the serious consequences for the United States of failing to provide workers with the means to effectively care for family members while earning a living. According to blogger Cali Yost of The Custom Fit Workplace, without paid leave: mothers breastfeed for a shorter time, adversely affecting their own health and that of their infants. They are more likely to experience post-partum depression. Their children either don't get their immunizations, or they get them later than recommended. If parents take leave with no pay, they are more likely to go into debt or seek public assistance. Further, without a paid family leave policy, employers are more likely to discriminate against parents with young children, particularly women, or anyone with a family caregiving obligation, undercutting careers, income potential, and professional achievement.
The larger American society is also impacted. Health care costs increase. Re-training and turnover push up the price of doing business. Productivity is blunted. Considering that women do more family carework, and that women are now better trained and educated than men, the failure to establish a national paid leave policy drags down our global competitiveness at a time when international competition intensifies before our very eyes.
At what point does paid family leave move from being a luxury within the reach of a handful to a universal basic minimum labor requirement, like the 40 hour work week, or a safe and healthy workplace, or a prohibition against child labor? Perhaps at the point when its absence imperils the health of our children. Perhaps at the point when the US struggles to maintain its global economic supremacy. Perhaps when its absence leads straight to economic dependence. Perhaps when it pushes millions of households to lose/lose decisions, like do I hold onto my job or lose my income to ... breastfeed my 10 week old baby?...care for my seriously ill father?...move my partner into an alzheimer's facility? Perhaps, at that point, it becomes a violation of human rights. At least the vast majority of the world's nations have found it so. But not the United States.
To find out more read Cali Yost's piece on the report or the report from Human Rights Watch itself.
'Til next time,
Your (Wo)Man in Washington
Related Posts
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of MomsRising.org.
MomsRising.org strongly encourages our readers to post comments in response to blog posts. We value diversity of opinions and perspectives. Our goals for this space are to be educational, thought-provoking, and respectful. So we actively moderate comments and we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that undermine these goals. Thanks!