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American Express Will Give All Parents 20 Weeks Of Paid Leave (cnn.com)
Starting in January, the financial services giant will expand its paid parental leave policy for mothers and fathers to 20 weeks at full pay, plus another six to eight weeks for women who give birth and require medical leave. Full-time and part-time employees who have worked at Amex for at least a year are eligible. CNN adds: That's a big shift from the company's current policy of offering six weeks of paid leave for the primary parent plus another six to eight weeks for birth mothers who require medical leave. Secondary caregivers, meanwhile, have gotten just two weeks. Under the new policy, parents will also have access to a 24-hour lactation consultant. And mothers who go on business trips will be able to ship their breast milk home for free.
I'm a parent, I don't work for American Express... will they give me 20 weeks?
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Only if the work environment is already completely fucked up
Unfortunately, population growth isn't happening in the industrialized world, but rather in the developing world. So unless you want to start letting in a lot of immigrants over the coming decades, you're going to have to accept that people in the West need to have children as well.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Only in America.
I guess that this policy is far too wimpy and liberal for the USA. IF you don't like it, sue it to death!
Other countries are implementing policies like this. No lawsuits there!
Some are even making it transferrable between parents.
The USA is becoming more socially unequal by the day. This policy would help the lower paid more than the bosses (who can afford nannies).
You really are going to the dogs.
this is america, it's going to happen. discrimination against those who don't want or can't have children. the latter being a medical condition that surely someone will consider an ada-covered disability... and they just might find a judge to agree with them.
Read TFA:
And employees who wish to have a child will receive up to $35,000 for adoption or surrogacy for up to two children. Those undergoing infertility treatments, meanwhile, will receive up to a lifetime maximum of $35,000 to help defray costs.
The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
This is such a bizarre and staunchly American attitude. In Canada you automatically get 17 weeks paid leave when having a child. You can also take an unpaid parental leave for up to 35 weeks and your employer cannot penalize you in any way for taking these leaves. The Canadian government is currently look at increasing the paid leave and applying it more equally to men and women in the future as the current system is felt to be inadequate.
Typically when someone goes on parental leave in my workplace a new employee is brought on temporarily under contract to "pick up the slack". If you choose not to have children or are not in a position to have children well then that's just too bad for you. Raising children is a huge commitment, both in time and money and there absolutely should be support from government and business to make major life events like this easier. It also encourages new mothers to do what's best for their health and the baby's by staying home and taking care of the newborn.
As someone from the outside looking in, the American system seems downright barbaric and more companies need to be doing what American Express is.
Look at the bigger picture, in 30 years time you will need the children of today to be around to maintain a viable society and economy. If you make it so unattractive to have children that people don't, you will have a major problem like Japan. The only solution will be massive immigration, and you probably won't like that either.
Another way to think of it is that by deciding not to have children you already saved yourself a tonne of money, while still benefiting from other people's kids in the long run.
Rather than being jealous of new parents and the time they get off, maybe you should demand more time off for everyone. In Europe a year for new parents and a minimum of 28 days holiday (which can include national holidays, so typically around 20-22 days you can pick) is normal. We don't have "sick days", you just take time off for illness as you need it, and if you get sick on your holiday you get those days back. I realize this seems insanely socialist to Americans, but honestly our economies don't collapse because of it and in fact it's actually the minimum level you can expect.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Well, depends, I guess, on your definition of "middle of nowhere".
IMHO, unless you consider anywhere outside of LA, NYC, SF and other hugely $$$$ places to live, middle of nowhere....there are plenty of places with reasonable cost of living in the US. And you can still live in a decent place, in a safe neighborhood, where children still play outside, and get by on a single income family. Yes, I am talking about a 'real job', not a burger flipper, but I believe that's what we're all discussing here.
No, you won't have the latest toys, not the newest car....and you won't be going out that much, but hey, that's what my parents did. Mom stayed at home with me till I was in about 2nd grade and then gradually began working again, up to full time by the time I was old enough to come home from grade school and stay on my own will they got home from work. No problems.
We cooked at home most all meals, nothing wrong with that, forced us to eat a bit healthier, AND, I was taught from a young age how to cook myself.
Sure, being a parent is tough, it takes sacrifice both personally and fiscally, But this isn't a new thing...parents have been doing this forever till now.
Don't have them, unless you are willing to make those sacrifices. I never wanted to be tied down with the little fiscal boat anchors, so I chose not to have any...I like my time and my disposable income. A choice you make. I could NOT have both, and I chose my path and am happy with it.
If you choose to have kids....you need to take what goes with it and if you have to move to an area with a lower cost of living, then be prepared to do that. Don't expect others to take up the slack for you.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........