This week, Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, came under heat after his former students alleged that Gorsuch implied to his students that many women purposefully manipulate their employers and companies for maternity benefits. This statement, while problematic in itself, raises even more eyebrows because many companies don’t even offer that many “maternity benefits,” or, at least, they aren’t required to. After all, the United States is the only developed nation (out of 41 studied) that lacks paid maternal, paternal, and/or paternal leave.
Surprising? Yes. Dire? Very. Though the Family and Medical Leave Act does guarantee American parents 12 weeks of (unpaid!) leave, the costs associated with a new baby – from diapers to basic amenities to food – force many new parents to return to work early, which is detrimental both for the mother’s health and for the baby’s development. The benefits of paid leave are abundant – the dependable and constant presence of the mother in the early stages of a child’s life has shown to leave a positive impact on their health and development. Studies show that infant mortality rates dropped in European countries that offer paid leave and that it positively impacted children’s health, as well.
Though opponents of paid maternity or parental leave argue that the economy will be negatively affected by a lack of employees despite constant flow of money, the economy will actually benefit from paid leave; by offering leave, workers won’t have to decide between at-home care and keeping their jobs. In fact, offering paid leave “increases the likelihood that workers will return to their jobs instead of dropping out of the labor force or spending time out of work to search for a new job.”
The United States is the only developed nation that doesn’t offer paid maternal, paternal, and/or parental leave.
Instead of making new mothers and fathers choose between working before they are ready and caring for their children, the American government must begin making paid parental or maternal leave readily available to all who may need it. The future of our country depends on their parents, and with that dependance comes economic needs as well. Taking care of the next generation, offering financial security, and improving the economy – what’s not to love?
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