Shortening Maternity Leave

As a child, I’ve seen my parents focused the majority of their time and energy at their work to provide for our family. In 2000, the U.S Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics had recorded that working couples with children under 18 years of age worked an average of 66 hours a week compared to couples without children, who worked an

As women knowing your maternity leave rights and laws is something that is fundamental and worth acknowledging. Many jobs here in the United States do not take this topic serious which could affect the stability of coworkers and final outcome. Mothers and daughters are in need of being able to leave their place of work to rest and take care of them selves for the upcoming birth of their children. In this proposal I am asking for your consideration of changing the law and fro you to use your powers to appeal to our legislators on the cause of mothers rights in the workforce. In the United States there no laws pertaining to paid benefits for expecting mothers when it comes to women in the workforce. You can take only two stances on the current issue at hand which is to fight for our rights and let women receive paycheck when they are tending to their doctor’s orders and resting for one of the biggest and most grueling times in their lives or you can say that women who become pregnant while on job do not deserve the right to perform the natural God given act of giving life. I hope after you here my proposal you will chose what would better mankind and protect the brave women of our nation to decide to bring a life into this world.

America being one the most industrialized nations it is shocking to most to discover that it does not provide a more beneficial maternity leave when compared to its European counterparts. Not only is Europe leading the way for a lengthier leave of absence for new mothers, they also provide financial benefits to those families with newborns, to American society this is not considered a cultural norm, in fact it is even bizarre to some that having a child while in the work force would even be beneficial. Consequently, the difficulty in accessing a reasonable maternity leave in America creates long term effects on a child’s development.

Studies suggest that when the number of children in the home rise, and as the age of the youngest child decreases, there are more conflicts within the family. In establishing relationships with children, parents struggle to manage work and family, including having insufficient time to completely focus on both the necessities of work and family (Cichy, Stawski, & Almeida, 2012). Due to new job obligations, MJ experiences work stress independently, enhancing personal and financial stressors. There can be an adverse effect between job security and father-child relationship due to fathers striving to secure careers so they are able to provide for their family. As personal stressors are experienced more regularly, so are perceptions that one’s work obligations increase negative effects on their family life (Minnotte, Pedersen, & Mannon, 2013).

Both parents may work or 1 parent might do 2 job to secure their future

According to Statistics Canada, the amount of two parented full time working families has gone up 17% since the 1980’s. As a result of such an outcome, more employees in larger and smaller based companies are finding it harder to keep up with both risen work loads and home life necessities, which in turn have caused more absentees in the work place. The reason being for this is due to

Americans that work too many long shifts affect the lives of the people around them too. For instance, one statistic from a Family Matters Survey done by The National Partnership for Women & Families in 1998 found that, “70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children”.Another statistic from this survey reported that over 80% of Americans found it diffcult to balance their work life and their personal life. In fact, it is estimated that around 11 million children age 5 and under spend time in a form child care facility every week(Child Care Aware of America). It is also estimated that children whose

There is a correlation between postpartum and physiological and psychological health issues (Chatterji, 2004). Studies also found that inadequate time away from work after giving birth spurs postpartum therefore, paid maternity leave needs to be addressed to alleviate these results since recent mothers with limited financial resources tend to return to work sooner than they should. Also, it is difficult for working mothers to juggle a demanding work environment while caring for an infant at home. The stress of trying to balance the two has shown to weaken the immune system which causes other health problems down the road. According to Chatterji, returning to work too early also comes with consequences including numerous psychological conditions but most particularly depression. Chatterji also states that these negative symptoms can be reduced incrementally by increasing the time of maternity leave.

As a person I personally do not mind paying more taxes as long as it actually went to people who are in need of assistance. I understand that there are people in our society struggling and I believe they should have access to programs that could help the better themselves. The system in which people are picked for the program is flawed because it can easily be tricked which is how people who do not need the assistance can get in the programs.

In addition, in the traditional families the mother usually bore the sole responsibility of the child caring. Modern parents now share this responsibility together because of social and work constraints. However, holidays which are not common in the traditional family, allow them to spend quality time with their children. Moreover in many modern families the father becomes a house worker, to provide for the needs of his children. As the statistics shown in the United Kingdom in 2001, 155 000 fathers were stay home husbands. All in all, the emphasis on nurturing children can be seen in traditional and modern families, alike.

Challenges While both parents work, they usually work opposite schedules. Dad is gone during the day 9-5, and Mom works night shifts. Therefore, Mom and Dad do

Further support comes from a prospective cohort study conducted by Dagher et al. (2016) which specifically examined the impact of paid maternity leave on the length of breastfeeding. The study population included 817 Minnesota women who gave birth in 2001. The data did not find an association between paid maternity leave and the length of breastfeeding duration, whereas the length of EOML increased the breastfeeding duration. The authors conducted a sub-study to compare employee's self-report information with their employer's written family and medical leave policy. This sub-study included a random subsample of employees (n=118) and their employers (n=90). Results showed that only 29% to 35% of women were aware of their leave benefits and eligibility.

The fact that women’s health can be affected negatively just because employers don’t provide paid maternity leave is something I learned from this article. There is study after study that shows a positive effect of paid maternity leave and woman’s health. I never knew it actually effected the woman’s health, I just thought that it would provide more support for them. Not only will it be more support for them but it will affect their health in a positive way.

How can a household or a single mom can survive a grueling 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave? Is it a sin to give birth? Or maybe, a mom can ask her creditors such as house developers or landlord, car dealership, banks, credit cards, etc., to at least give her a time-off in paying bills because she committed a serious crime of having a baby and her employer or the government is penalizing her by giving 12 weeks maternity leave without pay. I think, the federal Family and Medical Leave act of 1993 is a birth control mechanism that deters an aspiring couple or soon-to-be mother to conceive a baby. Legislators should have a heart in balancing work and family. What if, after giving birth, the baby become a sickly baby just like me as my mom told

Women are able to contribute to society in more ways than by just being a mother. Meier, Musick, Flood & Dunifon (2016) mentions “maternal employment may provide a source of identity, self-worth, and welcome relief from daily care, potentially gener- ating greater appreciation and enjoyment in time with children” (p. 651, para. 2). Whether a mother wants to work or has to work to provide for her family, the extra income is beneficial to the child. When both parents work, it may mean that there is more disposable income which could allow for more family vacations and activities. Dual income families may also be able to afford a nicer home in a better school district. More income could also mean both parents may qualify for additional work benefits such as contributions towards 401K, medical benefits and child care tax savings. Childcare is not only beneficial for mother but for the child. Children learn social skills, have fun playing and learn from their teachers and other children. Having separation during the day can also make a child more independent and self-sufficient as they get older. Mothers who continue to work after having children will often have more career opportunities and are able to earn more money in the long run. Working moms may also teach children the importance of gender equality and show them that women can also focus on careers.