The Pregnant Worker Fairness Act

Today there are two countries in the world that do not currently guarantee paid maternity leave for employed new mothers and/or expecting mothers, those countries are the United States and Papua New Guinea, according to the International Labour Organization, an United Nations agency, which recommends a minimum 18 week maternity leave (Rubin 2016, p.1). In recent years, the controversial issue of guaranteed maternal leave has been a prominent topic of debate amongst political activists and elites, particularly in the United States, where reform is a feasible option but has yet to be achieved. It is this absence of policy that serves to provide guaranteed maternal for all working mothers that has been linked to significant health related issues; these adverse effects not only impacts those mothers, but their children as well. Although paid maternal leave remains a controversial matter, policy reform that implements such leave is not only a feasible option in the United States, both economically and politically, it is an ethical necessity in order to facilitate the well-being of American women. Thus, in order to work toward ethical political/governmental policy that supports the well-being of women in the United States’ workforce, it is crucial that guaranteed paid maternal policy is implemented.

But as I kept reading I learned even with the Affordable Care Act there is many loopholes companies can go through depending on the size of the firm and type of employee. These women were stripped of their rights; therefore, proper laws should be put in place to avoid situations like these ever again. It was disheartening to read how these women were treated by their workplace. Women are the ones who bring life into this world, they create a human being inside their body. Pregnancy which any woman who has been pregnant would know is not easy, it's painful, tiring, and sometimes almost unbearable. We should be doing everything we can to make sure a woman who is pregnant is comfortable. It’s so simple to make one designated place for women to pump their breastmilk. If a pregnant woman needs to rest she has every right to take a break, she’s carrying around another person inside her. Also, when a woman is pregnant her body is changing drastically and it’s uncomfortable for them. The loopholes that companies can go through should be abolished, there needs to be a set strict law on accommodations for pregnant/breastfeeding women. Lastly it’s not fair for a woman who’s pregnant to have to take a leave of absence before her due date and for it to be unpaid. When they go on maternity leave they should

The US policy on maternity leave falls short when compared to the rest of the world’s industrialized countries. This country is the last industrialized one left to not have mandated paid maternity leave for new mothers. American mothers are plagued with the pressure of having to take care of their newborn(s) and economic situation for at least twelve weeks. They’re at a greater risk of having an unstable income, family life, and health. This is despicable. It is imperative that the United States rectifies this situation and introduces paid maternity leave for the workforce as an emendation in order to provide mothers with a sense of security and wellbeing while taking time off to care for their newborns. It’s time for the US to join the

Linda Hirshman’s book, Get to Work… And Get a Life Before It’s Too Late, opens up to debate the role that women should have in society. She theorizes her ideas based on the experiences of women in American society and what she believes they should be established with. She puts in a plan on how women should approach higher education and marriage in which they can keep their success. Hirshman wants to emphasize that in American society women have been facing gender stereotypes in their homes and in public.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is designed to protect employees from any type of discrimination which includes hiring, promotions, job responsibilities, layoffs, benefits, and any other terms of employment. Employers are required by law to provide accommodations to women experiencing a medical condition related to the pregnancy that stops them from performing their usual job responsibilities. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. This act also covers childbirth and related medical conditions. By law, pregnancy is considered to be a temporary disability and pregnant employees must be reasonably accommodated and treated by employers as

The fourth claim presented in “Pregnancy Discrimination and the American Worker” is that women are forced to make decisions about their careers that males are not subjected to. Women live by a double code of standard as they are faced with many barriers due to pregnancy. ” A third of managers would rather employ a man in his 20s or 30s over a woman of the same age for fear of maternity leave” was the information presented by Deardorff after 500 law firm executives were interviewed. Key leadership positions require full commitment by the person being appointed. These multibillion dollar firms are steadily recruiting more personal to keep pace with the competition in the market. There is no room for personnel to be out due to pregnancy which

Many maternity and labor law provisions argue for equality within the workplace using the Fourteenth Amendment. The key words within the fourteenth amendment are “equal protection of the laws.” Equal protection does not constitute that women are endowed to special protection under the Rule of Law. In the battle for special protection for expecting mothers, the court has shut down claims supporting extra benefits over their male counterparts.

“Glass ceiling” has been the major disadvantage to woman with a baby. Being a mother in the work force is not easy and it’s hardly to get promoted. When it comes to working, employer always tries to look for qualities between men and women. In some case, it could be a mother with a child and a mother without a child. Still, the result will be discrimination toward women with a child. Nelson confirms that, “A mother is also 50 percent less likely to be promoted than a woman without children” (413). No wonder men are always at the top because they can be more active than women. To put it simply, men don’t have to take a vacation when he has baby, but women must. Men can just come to the hospital once he finishes his work. Right? If this case

What are important factors to include when considering the accommodations of pregnant women in the workforce currently in the United States? Important pregnancy factors often take place throughout history. Women were receiving more rights throughout history. In world war 2 there was an influx of women in the workforce. One of the pieces of propaganda to inspire more women to join was Rosie the Riveter, an important icon for women. It was used for a feminism movement inspired to bring women into the workforce during World War 2 to show that they could do the same work as men if not more work. Rosie the Riveter was inspired by real life women. Some of these women worked as electricians, welders, and designers to build Liberty ships and SS ships

When female employees become pregnant, one of their biggest concerns is likely how they are going to support themselves without pay for their time out. In fact, about 61% of nonworking women ages 25-34 said they weren’t working because of family responsibilities, which likely relates to the unpaid leave that is currently implemented in the U.S. (Gilpin). Although critics say it comes with potential economic concerns, employed women who take maternity leave should be paid due to the long-term consequences of its current policies.

Preamble: Whereas preparing the upcoming generation for an exceptional future, hereby leading an example, welcoming the exquisite gift of life, rather than destroying it. Moreover, by attending to responsibilities as a community, the current generation shall create a better functioning society and protect the health of mothers and their newborns.

You do not have to have worked for the same employer during this time and the 26 weeks do not need to have been worked in a row. You may get MA if you are self-employed.

For example, pregnant students in the undergraduate and graduate level “are frequently told that their only option is to withdraw from their programs, with no guarantee of readmission.” This experience does not differ for female postdocs. According to the Parents in the Pipeline report, 53% of institutions surveyed provided no paid maternity leave to postdoc employees, and almost one out of every 10 postdocs were denied maternity leave; additionally, only 40% of postdocs asked for pregnancy accommodations while 71% needed at least one pregnancy accommodation. Often societal expectations dictate that women need to stay home and take care of their children. Furthermore, women are required a certain amount of leave due to recovery time.

After years of fighting, women finally gained their right to work in 1948. Since then they have had to face other obstacles, for instance; pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. The issue has been common since 1978, which was when the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed (Mercer, 2015). Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace not only impacts expecting mothers, it also impacts the employers and other members of the family.

In 2017, the U.S. News and World Report analyzed and classified sixty countries by their wealth and nine categories of national attributes (adventure, citizenship, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, open for business, moves, powers, and quality of life). From this ranking, the United States classifies as number four in the best country to live in because of its high cultural influence, entrepreneurship, and quality of life (U.S. News and World Report, 2017). Yet, it is the only industrialized country that does not pay for maternity leave (Human Rights Watch, 2011, book). For example, while Germany grants soon to be mothers a 14 week (paid) period to bond with their child, in the U.S., women only have three unpaid months of maternal leave and many have to rely on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for job security while they are away (The Huffington Post Canada, 2012). Consequently, mothers are not able to stay at home with their newborns and provide their full attention during these imperative days without having economic repercussions. This is problematic because 57% of employees are women and 70% of these women are mothers (U.S. Department of Labor, 2015). The bulk of the evidence suggests that paid maternity leave can bring benefits to both the child and the mother. I will present evidence on why mothers should have paid maternity leave.