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[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I'm sorry to be late to the party, but back to the subject of parental leave, isn't there a contradiction built in? If by hiring a woman I know that I may at some point have to pay her while she takes time off with her baby, that's a reasonable motivation to hire a man instead, or at least pay the woman less? Even if I don't have to pay her while on maternity leave, it's costly to the business to hire a woman to a key role and then lose her for a couple months, especially since even in the US laws say that I have to keep her job available and thus probably can't hire a long term replacement.

The idea that women that are given the opportunity to have children and care for them are a drag on business is short sighted. They're most certainly not a drag. Every nation in the world - except this one - understands that and acts accordingly. Many of our peers now actually extend paid leave benefits to fathers as well - I posted an article on that not too long ago. It's smart policy. It makes focus on family more than a slogan which is all it is in this country. It's good for families, hence good for society and thus good for business. I'm quite positive that eventually even the knuckle dragging USA will get it. Not sure I will live to see it but it'll happen eventually.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I'm sorry to be late to the party, but back to the subject of parental leave, isn't there a contradiction built in? If by hiring a woman I know that I may at some point have to pay her while she takes time off with her baby, that's a reasonable motivation to hire a man instead, or at least pay the woman less? Even if I don't have to pay her while on maternity leave, it's costly to the business to hire a woman to a key role and then lose her for a couple months, especially since even in the US laws say that I have to keep her job available and thus probably can't hire a long term replacement.

I'm not sure how reasonable it is really - probably more so at an interview and the woman applying for the job is clearly a few months along, that's obviously going to raise some questions in the mind of the employer.

Of course the other side of it is that a woman shouldn't be discriminated against in the workplace because of a matter of biology. Sometimes women don't want to have kids, or they get pregnant by accident - it would be highly dubious to assume a blanket bias against all women on the assumption that at some point they might have a child. What's next - provide proof of hysterectomy and we'll give you the job!?

[GandD 5,966]

One year of maternity leave from a business point of view is excessive IMO. Like he said, that would really make me hesitant to hire women for specialized positions in smaller companies.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

One year of maternity leave from a business point of view is excessive IMO. Like he said, that would really make me hesitant to hire women for specialized positions in smaller companies.

It works quite well in all advanced economies. Maybe the US economy will reach an advanced state this century, too.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Women in the workplace? There is your problem right there. Who wants to see naked preggos dancing for tips?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Women in the workplace? There is your problem right there. Who wants to see naked preggos dancing for tips?

That's just wrong.

[SMR 368]

The idea that women that are given the opportunity to have children and care for them are a drag on business is short sighted. They're most certainly not a drag. Every nation in the world - except this one - understands that and acts accordingly. Many of our peers now actually extend paid leave benefits to fathers as well - I posted an article on that not too long ago. It's smart policy. It makes focus on family more than a slogan which is all it is in this country. It's good for families, hence good for society and thus good for business. I'm quite positive that eventually even the knuckle dragging USA will get it. Not sure I will live to see it but it'll happen eventually.

So a system where both parents are encouraged to work outside the home and pay someone else to take care of their children is good for families? No. Parents taking care of their own kids is good for families. The idea that parental leave is about making sure parents take time with their kids is a crock. Parental leave is about encouraging parents to eventually return to work and abandon their children to the daycare system.

Regardless of whether [paid] parental leave is a good thing for society as a whole, you still haven't addressed the issue that enforcement of paid parental leave makes women less attractive potential employees to business owners. Even if I think it's good to let my female employees spend time with their young children and chose to pay them to do so, it would still make sense to just hire men to begin with.

As far as it not being fair to use biology against someone, that's just wishful thinking. Biology is inevitable. We are biological beings and our biology is important to our ability to do a job.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So a system where both parents are encouraged to work outside the home and pay someone else to take care of their children is good for families? No. Parents taking care of their own kids is good for families. The idea that parental leave is about making sure parents take time with their kids is a crock. Parental leave is about encouraging parents to eventually return to work and abandon their children to the daycare system.

Regardless of whether [paid] parental leave is a good thing for society as a whole, you still haven't addressed the issue that enforcement of paid parental leave makes women less attractive potential employees to business owners. Even if I think it's good to let my female employees spend time with their young children and chose to pay them to do so, it would still make sense to just hire men to begin with.

Funny how paid maternity leave is not an issue for employers outside the US. They hire women and they remain competitive. Are non-US employers that much smarter? You should give US employers (some of which actually do offer paid maternity leave - I work for one of them now and worked for two others of them in the past) more credit. They can figure it out.

Oh, and women and families certainly aren't better off here for the lack of paid maternity leave - quite the opposite.

[GandD 5,966]

Funny how paid maternity leave is not an issue for employers outside the US. They hire women and they remain competitive. Are non-US employers that much smarter? You should give US employers (some of which actually do offer paid maternity leave - I work for one of them now and worked for two others of them in the past) more credit. They can figure it out.

Oh, and women and families certainly aren't better off here for the lack of paid maternity leave - quite the opposite.

I wouldn't disagree with paid maternity leave where people pay into a fund similar to the way they do it in Canada. I still think a year is too long. 6 months should be enough. I don't mean to be insensitive to women but there needs to be a compromise between the employer and employee.

[Darnell 8,478]

Women in the workplace? There is your problem right there. Who wants to see naked preggos dancing for tips?

Now wait a mo - I'd like to see that.

[GandD 5,966]

Now wait a mo - I'd like to see that.

Find the strip club in the worst area of town and then go to it. You will see it.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I wouldn't disagree with paid maternity leave where people pay into a fund similar to the way they do it in Canada. I still think a year is too long. 6 months should be enough. I don't mean to be insensitive to women but there needs to be a compromise between the employer and employee.

Six months would seem acceptable. It would certainly beat the ridiculous status quo.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Six months would seem acceptable. It would certainly beat the ridiculous status quo.

I don't know about other states, but California gives up to six weeks for Paid Family Leave in order to "bond with a new child."

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I don't know about other states, but California gives up to six weeks for Paid Family Leave in order to "bond with a new child."

Six weeks is laughable and in many states women won't even get that.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Mr. Big Dog

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Six weeks is laughable and in many states women won't even get that.

Among Native Americans, women would wander off to squat one out, then return back right away to finish the cooking and cleaning.