Policy Options Brief – Maternity Leave
To: Senator Charles Schumer
From: Carmelo Freda & Tiffany Nicholas
Date: March 9th, 2015
3 thoughts on “Policy Options Brief on Lack of Maternity Leave Causing Harms to Women, Babies, & Businesses”
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Hi, Carmelo and Tiffany,
Thank you for the concern with paid maternity leave. It’s not only a social issue related to women, but also a moral issue related to humanity.
In my opinion, the third option is more practical and will encounter fewer obstacles once it’s universally adopted. Since it requires a tiny contribution from employee and employer which can more easily accepted by both parties. Moreover, it’s a self-sufficient fund without increasing federal deficit. It’s less likely to mandate businesses to increase payroll tax for paid leave even though it’s small amount. Because companies will get around the law and try every means not to hire female employees, this well-intentioned method will be counterproductive.
Also, I think we should focus more on lower income female workers. Most of them are doing unskilled jobs with the nature of high turnover, once they leave the job market, they can be easily replaced. Without paid leave, they have to work immediately to maintain stable family income. Thus they’re suffering most from unpaid leave, in the meantime, will be the largest beneficiary from paid leave.
Tiffany and Carmelo,
I really appreciated your policy options brief. I think all 3 options you offered are feasible, I really think social security tax option for those making greater than $117,000 is an especially feasible option.
My employer offers 6 weeks paid leave to women who deliver vaginally and 8 weeks leave to women who delivered via c-section. Even though this is more than most women get it is still too short. Having to return to work so soon with such little time to bond increases a mothers stress which as you said can definitely impact the child.
One particular impact felt by both infants and mothers is related to breast feeding. The importance of breast feeding has been well established and returning to work negatively impacts breast feeding greatly. Many infants are not yet ready to bottle feed and mothers struggle to offer bottles in order to assure their child will take a bottle once they return to work.
Once mothers return to work it is extremely difficult to pump at least every 3 hours in order to keep their supply in order to feed their infant. Even if employers offer a lactation room if the proximity of the room is not in an immediate proximity to their work area it can be difficult for women to take time away from their job in order to pump. Not to mention the rooms have limited space and mothers must compete for a time in the room. Offering more time during leave would give more time for breast feeding to become better established and increase bonding.
Carmelo and Tiffany:
This is a great proposal. There is a need for this issue to be discussed and reformed. I myself do not have children, but have seen many of my friends in the workforce swim through muggy water to try to get the time they need off in order to care for their child after childbirth. Most of the time sacrificing vacation time, personal time and sick time to adjust for what will not be paid, leaving most of them without any paid time of their own to spend with their families after the time runs out.
The arguments that you made are all valid, and I believe that you addressed all issues, financial and logistic, for all three options. Although all three options are great, I think that the most feasible one would be option 1. This 24 week period can be taken at any point and it requires contribution from both employer and beneficiary.
I did have a question about gender in relation to this issue. I know for the most part it is a women’s issue, but what if let’s say, the mother dies or is in critical care after childbirth and the father is the one who is responsible for the care of the child. Would the same treatment be available for them? This is assuming the mother who gave birth cannot care for the child, and the parent left is Male. Could he take those 24 weeks off if needed to care for the newborn? Or in the case of adopting as a same sex partner couple that is male, would any of these be recognized for them?