Maternity Leave - what should it be?

mimsy7420

Tue, Sep 11 2007, 12:56 pm

They manage, some companies are better about it then others. The big companies actually top off the maternity leave. A lot of companies are going the family way because they know a happy employee at home makes a better worker. And it's the law - so if they don't like it it's really too bad for them - they can't say anything and they can't ask you straight out if you plan on starting a family soon - it's illegal. It's funny how our American neighbors are so backwards when it comes to these issues.

Ruchel

Tue, Sep 11 2007, 3:18 pm

hadasa wrote:

only1 wrote:

We get a year off here, and they are thinking of extending it to 18 months.

I couldn't imagine going back to work after 6 weeks, I think thats insane.

If it's 18 months, some Frum women would be on maternity leave for 10 years straight.

In France, if you want your full retirement pension you need to work a certain number of years - but for every child they take away 3(I think) years. A mother of a large family definitely retires early...

mimsy7420

Tue, Sep 11 2007, 4:07 pm

hadasa wrote:

only1 wrote:

We get a year off here, and they are thinking of extending it to 18 months.

I couldn't imagine going back to work after 6 weeks, I think thats insane.

If it's 18 months, some Frum women would be on maternity leave for 10 years straight.

LOL it doesn't quite work like that. You have to work a certain amount of hours in order to qualify. So you would have to work in between babies in order to qualify for leave again.

BrachaVHatzlocha

Tue, Sep 11 2007, 5:04 pm

for the people who said you're going on very little sleep, if I waited until my kids slept through the night, I would be out of work for a VERY long time.
That said, usually by 6 weeks your body is healed enough to work. And you CAN still bond with baby, B"H. Of course it's nice if you can take off longer, but considering in the US you don't get paid, if you can't afford it, that's life.

Mommy3.5

Tue, Sep 11 2007, 11:41 pm

only1 wrote:

gold21 wrote:

1. if you are a valuable important employee, how are they supposed to manage without you for a whole year? get a one year temp?... why wouldnt they just make that temp permanent then? I dont get it...how is your position being filled for an entire year?....just manage without you? lets say you play a pivotal role in the company?....employers may be less interested in putting young (I.e. fertile) women in important positions if they have to pay a whole year postpardum...no? I dunno....
2. from the employee's perspective: 4 weeks or 6 weeks is WAY too short! I mean, hello, you have to go back to work when you are barely sleeping at night, just recovering from a major bodily "trauma" = labor and delivery, have a newborn to take care of, adjusting to a totally new situation (a new child) etc....it seems so outlandish to expect a woman to go back to work, especially full time, at 6 weeks postapardum, let alone 4 weeks!! its just nuts.

ok so I dont have a solution. maybe 10 weeks? a good medium...

They don't pay the leave, the government does.

where do you suppose the government gets that money?

oh.

right.

the TAXPAYERS.

So basically the people who live in the country are supporting you to have leave.....

shalhevet

Wed, Sep 12 2007, 1:50 am

Mommy3.5 wrote:

only1 wrote:

gold21 wrote:

They don't pay the leave, the government does.

where do you suppose the government gets that money?

oh.

right.

the TAXPAYERS.

So basically the people who live in the country are supporting you to have leave.....

That's ridiculous. Who pays the taxes? Oh. Right. That mother all the time she worked before she had a baby.

(Your whole argument is illogical. Why are there taxes at all? Unless you want a totally capitalist society, there are always going to be people benefiting from taxes for things the government (read: democratic society) thinks is important.) Most progressive countries feel it's important to allow a mother time to take care of the next generation of citizens.

In Israel maternity leave is paid out of Bituach Leumi. And guess who pays Bituach Leumi? You guessed it - the people who work (ie including that mother before she gave birth.)

gold21

Wed, Sep 19 2007, 9:49 am

only1 I still dont get it. ok, so I work in a school office, and my job is very pivotal and integral to the running of the school. I have a lot of responsibility, I am the liason betwen the ed coordinators and the teachers, the liason between the director and the parents, etc. people come to me for all their questions. I on top of ppl to make things happen, making sure the A/C guy comes to fix the unit, making sure the ed coordinator gives in necessary paperwork, making sure the busses are running smoothly, making sure the copy girl is making the copies, etc. so lets say I go on maternity leave for a year, then what? I still dont understand what happens then. the school functions without me for that length of time? not happening....!! so someone else comes for a whole year and then is willing to give the job back to me when im ready to return?....why would she want to do that?...can you explain? thanks!

shalhevet

Wed, Sep 19 2007, 10:07 am

You Americans just don't get it, because your country is so capitalist you have been brought up to believe that all these things are impossible, and so you can't imagine anything else, as is done in all other progressive countries.

OK, gold, say you lived in Israel and you had a baby. So you would get 14 weeks off fully paid (the money comes from Bituach Leumi that you have paid into while you're working). Your employer has to legally keep your job open for a year (no pay here after 14 weeks).

So, most people don't give birth by surprise. You have to inform your employer by your fifth month. S/he advertises for someone to fill your position for at least 14 weeks - not usually a problem to find someone. Someone between jobs, or wanting to get experience, or wanting to get a foot in the door... They know the job is only temporary, no-one deceives them. If the employer is clever s/he makes sure that there is a little overlap or at least that the person filling your position comes in once or twice and you show them the ropes.

At places like my daughters' BY school here, the temporary teachers just go from taking one new mother's place to the next... Very Happy

gold21

Wed, Sep 19 2007, 1:19 pm

I dunno shalhevet maybe im just spaced out
but a year still seems much to me
I could hear that an employer is required to leave a job open for 4 months...but a year? listen I think 6 weeks is BEYOND insane, I am not a victim of a capitalist country, I have a mind of my own (as I s'pose is clear from all my opinionated posts Wink

), I have thought about this issue and concluded that 6 weeks is INSANE. I think its barbaric to expect a woman to return to work post-baby at that point. seriously. but a year..? nope im not getting it. I say the ideal would be a 3-4 month leave, ALL PAID. and not paid practically zip, like we get for maternity leave over here. your salary should be matched.

BinahYeteirah

Thu, Sep 20 2007, 2:21 am

I would think it would be easier for someone to take over for a year, rather than just 6 weeks or 4 months. In a shorter period of time, as soon as the replacement has gotten comfortable, they have to leave. It isn't unusual these days for a person to work a job for a year then leave in normal circumstances. Plus, I suppose there is always the possibility that the woman on maternity leave will decide not to return to work or that another opening will come up somewhere else in the school or organization. It seems like a good deal to me.

Plus, the company has a better chance of keeping their employees. I had a nice job for a couple years before I have my first. I went on maternity leave, but the FMLA wasn't long enough for me. So I quit, then right before my baby was a year old, I found another job. Maybe some companies would rather that their employees, who already know the job, etc., come back to them after taking a time to be with their children.

twinkltoes

Thu, Sep 20 2007, 5:33 am

Speaking from Israel here where it was just upped to 14 weeks.........I think 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks or 14 weeks is just INSANE! I do not agree that your body is ready to go back to work at any of those points even if your head is.

And then there's the breastfeeding issue which I don't agree is firmly established so fast. Maybe some yes, definitely some no.

I think Israel is somewhat ahead of the US in this regard (surprising) but WAAAAAAAAY behind some other countries - such as Russia. I work with a LOT of Russians and they tell me that in Russia they get 3 years paid leave with job assured! Now that's more like it............

amother

Thu, Sep 20 2007, 6:30 am

Just wondering about WAHMS (work at home mothers)
Do people think it is "barbaric" for a woman working from home with childcare to return to work 2-3 weeks after childbirth? She's not leaving her house and can stop to nurse on demand?

(I"m asking because I did this and another WAHM got very angry at me. Didn't know if was out of jealousy or genuine concern...)

I signed an independent contractor contract with an American firm and didn't have ANY benefits, so what could I have done?

Anyway, b'h I felt okay...

amother

Thu, Sep 20 2007, 11:38 am

amother wrote:

I used to WAH with childcare (now I have none.) I started back working on a reduced schedule 2 days after I gave birth. Why not? It's time I would've spent surfing the net anyway and it was good to get a break every so often. But with the lack of sleep and all, it took me a couple of months to work my schedule up to was it was before the baby.

gold21

Thu, Sep 20 2007, 2:24 pm

assuming that your reference to my use of the world "barbaric" is not sarcastic/condescending...I would have to say that the issue is what is expected of women. if you should CHOOSE to go back to work, great, have a party. but you shouldnt be EXPECTED to go back to work after such a short length of time. so if you so desire, work at home, but if you should not feel up to it, society should not demand that you start working at that point. there should be leeway for those many women who dont feel up to it...