The Us Policy On Maternity Leave Falls Short - 1665 Words

The US policy on maternity leave falls short when compared to the rest of the world’s industrialized countries. This country is the last industrialized one left to not have mandated paid maternity leave for new mothers. American mothers are plagued with the pressure of having to take care of their newborn(s) and economic situation for at least twelve weeks. They’re at a greater risk of having an unstable income, family life, and health. This is despicable. It is imperative that the United States rectifies this situation and introduces paid maternity leave for the workforce as an emendation in order to provide mothers with a sense of security and wellbeing while taking time off to care for their newborns. It’s time for the US to join the†¦show more content†¦If you look at total paid leave provided, it averages at 53.7 weeks with a 59.2% of wages being paid. All of these numbers are extremely impressive compared to the zero weeks of paid maternity leave t hat the United States provides. Additionally, paid maternity leave ends up providing a huge benefit to the children of the employee as the report, â€Å"The Economics of Paid and Unpaid Leave,† from the Council of Economic Advisors stated in the following: Other studies have found that maternity leave increases women’s likelihood of successfully nursing their infants. There is also evidence that children have shorter hospital stays when their parents are able to stay home and care for them. The current evidence on children’s outcomes emphasizes the importance of the early childhood and prenatal environment, so there are likely large long-term benefits of polices that improve infant health. One study found higher educational attainment, lower teen pregnancy rates, higher IQ scores, and higher earnings in adulthood for children whose mothers used maternity leave, suggesting paid leave policies can have long-term benefits as well. Children who do not have adequate parental care are more likely to show up sick to school and infect others. Studies also suggest that those with paid sick leave are more likely to utilize preventative health care such as cancer screening. Therefore, not only does