Maternity Leave

I remember when I first started in the working world, pregnant women would have their babies, and then be out of the office for the next 3 months on average. I always assumed that was the company's policy. Have a baby. . . 3 months off to spend time with the baby.

I WAS WRONG!

This past week, I've been looking into maternity benefits at my company. I'm lucky in that adoption time off is handled similarily to maternity leave. It is basically the same policy. Let's just say the information I found was extremely disturbing. Here are some highlights.

1. The majority of companies in the U.S. do not offer maternity leave. Instead, they offer something that is called short-term disability. Most people can have up to 26 weeks a year of disability. However, these corporations have said that giving birth to a baby only requires 6 weeks of healing, so you will only get 6 weeks of disability.
2. The first week of disability is actually unpaid. . . so technically, a woman only received 5 weeks of disability.
3. Depending on the company you work for, only a percentage of your salary will be paid during disability. Some companies only pay 50%, and if you're lucky, your company will pay 100%.
4. If you're not ready to go back to work after 6 weeks, you can then take 6 weeks of FMLA. FMLA is the Family Medical Leave Act. Not all companies offer this. But if yours does, it allows you to take time off of work and guarantees you a job when you return. However, it is COMPLETELY unpaid.
5. Some companies don't offer anything AT ALL. No short-term disability. No FMLA. If you want time off after having a baby. . . take it unpaid or use up your vacation time. (If you have any)

Finding out this information was upsetting and disappointing to say the least. Why does a country that claims to be the best at so many things, do so little for work/family balance. My friends in Norway that have babies, get a year off. There are 3rd world countries in the world that have better maternity benefits than the U.S. does. The U.S. is in the very bottom of the pack on the benefits offered.

In my opinion, this is completely pathetic, and it must change. I'm going to bringing a child into my life, and I want this child to have a decent adjustment period. I don't want to bring this baby boy home, and just when he's getting used to T and I, ship him off to daycare. Staying home is not an option for me right now though. I wish it was, but we are a family that requires two incomes for the time being.

Something needs to change. We need to have laws in this country that allow women time to spend home with their new baby. . . whether it is via birth or adoption.

Sometimes it is so obvious to me that our country is run by men.