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Maternity Leave

 Hey guys! So this month's topic is going to be on maternity leave! 

I don't think the topic of Maternity Leave is talked about early as much as it should be. Maternity Leave is written the FMLA--Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. This requires pregnant mothers 12 full weeks of unpaid leave if they work in a company with fifty or more people. I'm sure that by reading this definition, you can definitely point out the problem right away. What happens to pregnant mothers in a company with less than fifty employees? While there are some states who have permitted the extension of the FMLA to smaller businesses, many mothers do not have the right to maternity leave. 

Honestly, to get straight to the point, U.S maternity leave is bad. For such a developed country, I know we can do better. How is paid leave not a national statute? Japan has 36 weeks of paid maternity leave, where women can earn about two thirds of what they usually earn when working. Sweden has 35 weeks, where during the ten weeks in that time, women can earn what they usually do at work. The U.K and Mexico both have twelve weeks like the U.S but unlike America, there is a mandate that requires women to receive most of their wages. 

Additionally, women often face job security when they go on maternity leave. read this excerpt from the Harvard Business Review: 

"...the longer new mothers are away from paid work, the less likely they are to be promoted, move into management, or receive a pay raise once their leave is over. They are also at greater risk of being fired or demoted. Length of leave can be a factor in the perceptions of co-workers as well – women who take longer leaves are often seen as less committed to their jobs than women who take much shorter leaves." 

Source: https://hbr.org/2018/09/do-longer-maternity-leaves-hurt-womens-careers

This shows a dilemma that is only faced by women. Women are frequently put in positions where they have to choose between taking care of their children and their career. That isn't remotely fair. Women have the right to have a career and be a mother--those terms shouldn't be mutually exclusive. It shouldn't be this hard--it doesn't have to be. 

What do you guys think? Do you think the U.S should extend paid maternity leave?

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