Question

1. Describe the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

2. As the article indicates, the United States is the only country among forty-one (41) industrialized nations that does not mandate paid maternity leave. What are your thoughts and impressions regarding this fact?

3. In your reasoned opinion, should the federal government mandate paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child? If the federal government should continue to not recognize paid family leave, should state governments? Explain your responses.

Answer 1

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Maternity leave is a leave period for working women who are carrying a baby in their stomach. This leave is applicable for a period of 26 weeks. This leave is applicable to those pregnant women, who are in a stage of just before or after giving birth to a child. During this period they are eligible for having payment also.

Most of the countries around the world used to provide paid maternity leave and health benefits to their employees. This law comes under the titleof Labour laws called "Maternity Protection at Work".

In the past working women of all over the world had to face severe job related problems during the time of pregnancy like threat of job loss, suspended earnings along with increased health risk, etc. due to the inadequate employment safeguards.  

In the United States, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is extendend only for 12 weeks. But it is not paid leave at all. FMLA in United States is applied for workers of those companies who are having more than 50 workers.

According to International Labour Organization (ILO) standard, women should be paid not less than two third of their previous earnings also with full health benefits.  

The United Nations is the only industrialised country who does not provide paid maternity leave. Maternity leave in the United States is different from other countries. In US it is regulated by the Labour Law. It usually recommended for 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the working women of those companies who are having more than 50 workers.  

Mommy Wars - The term "Mommy Wars" represents the conflict between young mothers who are full time caregivers to the new borns and who are working professionals. This is in connection with those mothers who are spending a major portion of their productive time for child care. In this case providing paid maternity leave helps them to remain baby friendly in a relaxed and pleasing manner which is most required for the new borns.  

Spending very little amount of money for these young working mothers in the form of paid maternity leave does not affect an industrial nation like United states. economically. On the other hand it will increase the physical and mental upliftment of notonly the mothers bualso the babies which will bring double benefit to a developing country like US in the long term, in the form of gross domestic product (GDP), as we know how much manpower can contribute for the sustainalble economic growth and development of a nation.

State government also can provide  financial support to the working women for the preganancy period in the form of paid maternity leave. According to the datas collected by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, more than 70 % of the total employed women are mothers who are having children below 18 years of age. In most of the house holds, the contribution of these young mothers is the primary source of income these mothers should be motivated any how. Financial support is very much essential. Hence it is highly recommended to provide economic benefits to the pregnant women employees in the form of paid maternity leave, considering as a part of primary responsibility of the State Government.