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Paid Maternity Leave

Author	Comment
mischiefgoddess	Paid Maternity Leave	Lead	[-]
Two Star General Posts: 1611 (05/12/08 8:13 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None Here in Australia has begun a paid maternity leave debate. Currently all parents are entitled to 52 weeks unpaid parental leave but any paid leave is at the discretion of the employer. So the debate looms as each side attempts to put forward erasons why or why we should not have paid maternity leave and they have begun turning on each other. Apparently Australia and the US are the only two countries in the OECD that dont have centralised paid maternity leave. My question is simple are you entitled to paid maternity/parental leave? Is it government or employer funded and what does it involve? At my place of work we have paid parental leave that is obviously employer funded and allows for 12 weeks. Misfit of Mischief\|\|Sais Groupie Keeper Palindr0me, button, banner Sais08 and everyone for the Fan bar
MoyCullen		#1	[-]
Warrior Posts: 355 (05/12/08 8:58 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	At my company (in the US), our benefit package offers six weeks of paid maternity leave and with an additional six weeks that has to be funded by a combination of the employee's sick and vacation time or go unpaid if she doesn't have the time accrued. They also offer a two week paid paternity leave. "I could sing for you" Keeper by Aurora Goddess. Userbars by Nanziniemi, Aurora Goddess, TaladarkieJJ. Thanks everyone!
Aresbitch		#2	[-]
One Star General Posts: 1063 (05/12/08 8:59 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'm not sure I fully understand the questions but I'll take a pop at it anyway. I can take up to four weeks paid maternity leave before the baby is born, and either six weeks after (if the birth is natural) or eight weeks after (if the birth is by C-section). I don't get paid by my employer, however. I have to apply for state disability, and only if I paid into it. Thankfully, I have. But it's not at all full strength pay, either. I only get about 60% to 75% of my highest earning three month pay period from the year before.....I think. It's a little confusing. My personal feelings are, as someone who has faced leaving an eight week old baby in someone else's hands to raise, and will be facing that again very soon (I'm 37 weeks preggers), moms or primary caretakers should be allowed up to one full year paid leave. Whether it's the gov't or the employer doing the paying.
mischiefgoddess		#3	[-]
Two Star General Posts: 1613 (05/13/08 7:09 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I agree that parents should be allowed a great time to spend with their babies. The World Health Organisation recently released a report that claimed 26 weeks paid leave was essential for the health of the baby. I find it interesting that it distinguishes between c-section and natural birth though i understand there may be recovering issues there. The problem is that some industries have the ability and resources to provide extensive paid maternity leave provisions, but in other industries the cost may be too much. This is where the government is supposed to step in. The proposal here is that the paid leave be 14 weeks (which is the standard in the public service) and that it be joint funded. The government would pay the equivalent of the minimum wage and if your salary is more than the minimum wage, the employer will need to contribute. Essentially the majority of the scheme will be taxpayer funded. However the issue ahs arisen that the taxpayers may not want to pay for such a scheme. Through my research i've found that a lot of mothers with older children resent the fact that these new mothers will get paid leave because they never got it. Their attitude is i didnt get it why should i pay for someone else. Misfit of Mischief\|\|Sais Groupie Keeper Palindr0me, button, banner Sais08 and everyone for the Fan bar
TheJollyApe		#4	[-]
Two Star General Posts: 1932 (05/13/08 9:07 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I don't know exactly how it works and the exact amounts of time. But I'm fairly certain that in Sweden you are allowed at least a few months paid maternity leave, which is paid by the government. The dad is also allowed a certain number of weeks, but I don't know how many. Though I know there's been a discussion of whether or not to split the paid leave equally between the two parents. Though I might be wrong cause I have no children and it's been a while since I lived at "home".
Aresbitch		#5	[-]
One Star General Posts: 1064 (05/13/08 10:54 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	mischiefgoddess wrote: I agree that parents should be allowed a great time to spend with their babies. The World Health Organisation recently released a report that claimed 26 weeks paid leave was essential for the health of the baby. I find it interesting that it distinguishes between c-section and natural birth though i understand there may be recovering issues there. The problem is that some industries have the ability and resources to provide extensive paid maternity leave provisions, but in other industries the cost may be too much. This is where the government is supposed to step in. The proposal here is that the paid leave be 14 weeks (which is the standard in the public service) and that it be joint funded. The government would pay the equivalent of the minimum wage and if your salary is more than the minimum wage, the employer will need to contribute. Essentially the majority of the scheme will be taxpayer funded. However the issue ahs arisen that the taxpayers may not want to pay for such a scheme. Through my research i've found that a lot of mothers with older children resent the fact that these new mothers will get paid leave because they never got it. Their attitude is i didnt get it why should i pay for someone else. IMO, that's a selfish attitude. I've got an almost five year old. If my gov't started a new program that took my tax money and funded paid leave for primary caregivers for up to 26 weeks, I'd be so flippin' happy. I see it as a good way to spend my money, no different than repairing roads seldom used or making sure the local library stays open another year regardless of how many people actually use it. I wouldn't hold onto old resentments and want other new mothers to be punished because I wasn't afforded the same opportunity five years ago. A program like this is a good thing, and it has to start some time. They give more time for a c-section because you're basically recovering from a major operation. It took me two weeks last time to get up without falling over, and I imagine this time won't be any different. Good times.
JinxsMinx		#6	[-]
One Star General Posts: 1586 (05/13/08 12:41 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'm not sure, but I think the debate here (sweden) is ongoing. Currently, there are some 400 or so days that the parents may either share between themselves or give to the other. So each parent can either have government-paid parental leave for over six months or one parent can take out all the days and stay home for over a year. The amount the government pays equals 80% of your regular salary. Or something like that... ~ No Xena, No Xenaverse ~ \|\|:: Fics ::\|\| \|\|:: Vids ::\|\| ub's by myself, Aurora Goddess, dahllaz, TaladarkieJJ, Nanziniemi, JustSayNoToNutbread & everhope
Nanziniemi		#7	[-]
Two Star General Posts: 1278 (05/13/08 12:47 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	And in sweden the father can choose to have the paid maternity leave. Were trying to realize that here in NL as well. Here it is at least 16 weeks which starts around 4/6 th week before labour and the rest is after. And the father has right of 3 days around the labor date the rest that he/she takes off is on his/her vacation days acount 'Tell me, Admiral. Can you roll over? Beg?' - Gina Inviere \| My music vids \| My art \| My Band \|
SaraXenite		#8	[-]
Warrior Posts: 425 (05/13/08 3:29 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'm actually just learning about maternity leave in my sociale rights class. Here in Belgium you have 15 weeks paid maternaty leave. (17 weeks if it's a twin or just more then one child...) We also got an article about other countries and there laws about that,, but I'll have to search for it. If I find it, I'll get right back at ya Keepership by Shenanigen "I've Been Twinkled" -London con, may 3rd
JinxsMinx		#9	[-]
One Star General Posts: 1592 (05/13/08 4:12 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	You made me curious so I went and looked it up. Again, this is Sweden. "Parental benefit If you have children, you are also entitled to parental benefit if you give up gainful employment in order to look after them. Parental benefit is payable for 480 days for children born in 2002 or later and for 450 days for children born before 2002. The days of parental benefit are always shared equally between both parents. One parent may give up the right to parental benefit to the other parent, apart from 30 days for children born before 2002 and 60 days for children born in 2002 or later. If you are a lone parent, you are entitled to all these days yourself. If you are the mother, you can start drawing parental benefit 60 days before you are expected to give birth. Both parents can draw parental benefit in connection with parental training. Parental benefit may be drawn until the child reaches the age of eight or when the child comes to the end of his or her first year at school. You can choose to draw full, three-quarters, half, one quarter or one-eighth parental benefit." http://www.forsakringskassan.se/sprak/eng/foralder/ ~ No Xena, No Xenaverse ~ \|\|:: Fics ::\|\| \|\|:: Vids ::\|\| ub's by myself, Aurora Goddess, dahllaz, TaladarkieJJ, Nanziniemi, JustSayNoToNutbread & everhope
meaurel		#10	[-]
Warrior-in-Training Posts: 318 (05/13/08 4:14 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	In Denmark the goverment pays, if the employer doesn't. Vote Xena for president!

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