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wannabemom
look who's freshly baked!
Member since 12/07 7364 total posts
Name:
aka marriedinportjeff
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
thoughts?
yeah, this country is backwards.... sorry. We can have all the american pride we want, but the truth of the matter is this is the only industrialized country that will let a citizen who has been productive all of his/her life die of a disease and not help them out. The reason healthcare is so $$$ is becuase we let insurance and pharmaceutical companies dictate our benefits and add 50 layers of red tape....
instead of our premiums paying for healthcare, they pay for tons of pencil pushers who deny our claims. meanwhile, those $$ are funneled back to DC in the form of BILLIONS of $ of lobbying. In our best interests? me thinks not.
our rankings on maternity leave benefits simply mirrors our rankings with primary education.
our gov't has been sold to lobbyists, and is no longer the great nation it once was..... all that remains is our rosy memories of its former glory....
cynical? sure. Realistic? unfortunately, also sure. Unpatriotic? nope. Speaking up on behalf of the rights of american citizens is the most patriotic thing to do. Patriotism is standing up for AMERICANS, not the gov't at the cost of the citizens. The gov't does not always have our best interests at heart, and seldom knows best 
Message edited 2/4/2008 12:09:09 PM.
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Posted 2/4/08 12:04 PM  |
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cjik
Welcome 2010!
Member since 2/06 8879 total posts
Name:
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
Posted by wannabemom
thoughts?
yeah, this country is backwards.... sorry. We can have all the american pride we want, but the truth of the matter is this is the only industrialized country that will let a citizen who has been productive all of his/her life die of a disease and not help them out. The reason healthcare is so $$$ is becuase we let insurance companies dictate our benefits and add 50 layers of red tape....
ITA! We are extremely backwards when it comes to maternity/paternity leave and child care, as well as primary education. It's interesting to me that this topic has not been raised at all during the current presidential debates--I think the child care issue in particular has a detrimental long term effect on the workplace, on children, parents, productivity, etc. Yet no one cares to address it, despite all the lip service given to "serving our families".
I know of several people who have taken demotions (myself most likely to join the list) because they just couldn't handle their jobs and continue to pick up their children from daycare in a timely manner, or find care for holidays.
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:11 PM |
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Aga
hello baby Albert
Member since 9/05 7750 total posts
Name:
Aga
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
did you watch "Sicko"? I couldnt believe when that British woman said that she was getting 6 months paid maternity leave and then she can take 6 months unpaid maternity leave...
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:11 PM |
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yankinmanc
Happy Days!
Member since 8/05 18208 total posts
Name:
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
Posted by Aga
did you watch "Sicko"? I couldnt believe when that British woman said that she was getting 6 months paid maternity leave and then she can take 6 months unpaid maternity leave...
Since April of last year, its now 9 months paid at £112 (about $225) per week. My company pays you 90% of your full salary for 6 weeks, and the remaining time (up to that 9 months) is paid at that Statuatory Maternity Pay. And your company has to keep your job or a similar role open for you for 12 months. I walked right back into my job (with an 18% pay rise) after 12 months maternity leave. We have "free" healthcare through the NHS, however its not actually free as I pay something like 9% of my salary to this, however all visits to doctors, giving birth to a baby in a hospital etc, you do not pay a penny out of pocket. The hospitals are well equipped, however NHS hospitals are not as new and shiny as the hospitals in the states are. I should also say that I get something called Child Benefits and that is £68 ($140) a month per child until my child turns 18 (It might be 16, I can't remember) this is money that the government gives to anyone regardless of social standing.
There are pros and cons to all of these things...
Message edited 2/4/2008 12:23:15 PM.
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:21 PM |
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dapnkap
Our 3 angels
Member since 7/07 4824 total posts
Name:
Karen
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
It is horrible and a shame that we here in the US don't get the same kind of maternity benefits as women in other countries receive.
But, what can we do? We can only hope that our future children will get better benefits when they have their own children.
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:21 PM |
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Sassyz75
Turning a new page
Member since 5/05 9731 total posts
Name:
Dina
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
Posted by cjik
Posted by wannabemom
thoughts?
yeah, this country is backwards.... sorry. We can have all the american pride we want, but the truth of the matter is this is the only industrialized country that will let a citizen who has been productive all of his/her life die of a disease and not help them out. The reason healthcare is so $$$ is becuase we let insurance companies dictate our benefits and add 50 layers of red tape....
ITA! We are extremely backwards when it comes to maternity/paternity leave and child care, as well as primary education. It's interesting to me that this topic has not been raised at all during the current presidential debates--I think the child care issue in particular has a detrimental long term effect on the workplace, on children, parents, productivity, etc. Yet no one cares to address it, despite all the lip service given to "serving our families".
I know of several people who have taken demotions (myself most likely to join the list) because they just couldn't handle their jobs and continue to pick up their children from daycare in a timely manner, or find care for holidays.
your mentioning "demotions" speaks to me- I am currently making 50% less in order to have more flexibility. I worked for a small company (less than 50 people) and was given such a hard time with doctor appts, sicknesses, getting home on time, etc., that I just decided it wasn't worth it- even though I was let go- i decided to not go back into that World and find a job PT that gives me enough $ to get by for now. It's a HUGE trade off- We certainly aren't as monitarily comfortable as we were- but the time spending at home and not having to worry about sick time, pick-ups, working late, etc is sooo worth it.
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:22 PM |
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DRMom
Two in Blue
Member since 5/05 20223 total posts
Name:
Melissa
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
Posted by Sassyz75
I think we live in a country that is geared toward employer and not employee. Small businesses (those with less that 50 workers) cry to the government b/c they say offering paid maternity and guaranteed time off would hurt them financially. Big companies don't want to do too much for their employees and spend the money that should be going to their shareholders instead.
The whole thing comes down to greed- wanting to squeeze out every red cent in profit instead of giving it back to those who broke their backs to maket he businesses what they are.
ITTTTTTTA!!! I was just at my company's quarterly meeting. I work for a company that was just named the #1 most quickly growing software company in the US. So you think they'd put some of that growth in their employee's pocket? Noooooo we have teh crappiest insurance, no maternity leave(besides FMLA) no fertility benefits, etc....
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:24 PM |
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DRMom
Two in Blue
Member since 5/05 20223 total posts
Name:
Melissa
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
Posted by Superkat
Posted by chikita315
Posted by Xelindrya
I still want a kid
*shrug*
I feel lucky to live in this country. Damned lucky to offer my child so much more than a few weeks of my pay.
I get to keep my job which is great and I feel privilaged to say my child is American.
What more can I say?
I don't think anyone here is doubting their patriotism or American pride.
Facts are facts and the healthcare/benefits situation in this country is lackluster at best.
Exactly right Marlo. I knew that my company had lousy benefits and I still chose to get pregnant. HOWEVER, that does not change the fact that the systems sux. How can anyone celebrate that we don't even have STANDARDS that we enforce as a country?
Why is it that maternity benefits are enforced at a state level instead of a federal level? Why is California leading the way with maternity benefits and we are ok that people in the neighboring states don't have the same standards?
I refuse to be blinded by "patriotism" and believe that everything that exists in the U.S. is the best in the world. There is always room for improvement and always room to make it better.
ITA with this too. As for your question regarding benefits at the state level rather than the federal level that is mostly a result IMO of Republicans being in power for a number of years in a row(with Clinton in the middle)
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:32 PM |
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michele31
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 3372 total posts
Name:
Michele
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Re: Study of 173 Countries: US 1 of 4 that doesn't offer Paid Maternity Leave...thoughts?
ALL of these issues should factor into your decision for your elected officials- local, state and federal.
Call your local reps and ask what their views are, what bills have they tried to pass, what are their plans. They WORK for you so they owe you a full explaination.
American politics pretend to be centered on "family" and that is often used to vote against Gay/Lesbian marriage but in reality it is a religious vote, not a family vote at all. IF family was valued families would have the proper time home to care for young babies. 6 weeks is NOT about the baby. It is the time it takes for a women's body to fully heal from a v-birth. That is where they get the amount of weeks from. If a women's body could be recovered in 3 weeks we would get 3 weeks off. If the anti-choice and pro-choice people got together to actually HELP families imagine how powerful they could be..if they joined forces on maternity leave, healthcare for families, nutritous food programs (that pay for fresh foods, not just boxed junk). But religion and corporate interests run our political system at this point.
If you want change, then you have to fight for it. Join a mother's group and organize a visit to your reps in Albany. Try to join lots of mother's groups together for a March on Washington about REAL family values- not religious ones but ones that focus on parents and children. Write letters, make calls.
Remember women could not vote at one time...but once they organized no one could stop them.
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| Posted 2/4/08 12:43 PM |
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