What do you think about US maternity/paternity leave laws?

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US child leave laws are an embarrassment. They're nothing short of cruelty.

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I'm surprised that a country like the U.S is so outdated with their laws.. over in canada we get up to a year of paid leave. The u.S needs to do way better, and look at other better countries as an example

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I'm Canadian and we're entilited to 12-18 months off paid. I'm only taking a few months off because I have to get back to the family business and already feel sooo overwhelmed! I can't imagine if you had no choice and only had several weeks off.

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My job gives 4 mths  paid 🙄

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100% need of do better in the USA. I have seen middle class and below struggle with this to the point of financially crippling their families. The children are in child care as infants, or the family can't work at all.
   
I admire anyone who has figured this out, I admire companies for stepping up to the plate.

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100% need to do better. 
My two older sisters had babies last year.
One of them is low income (but just above the line to receive most assistance) and a single mother to two. She had to return to work within a week of giving birth to her second child. Thankfully my mother was able to watch him while she worked. 
The other one is well off, upper middle class. Married, a mother to five. She was able to take 8 weeks of paid leave, she works for a formula company and they offer it. Even that 8 weeks wasn't really enough, but she was grateful to take it nonetheless. A European company just bought out their factory, and is implementing maternity leave similar to what is standard in their home country, which I think is amazing. 
Whether or not you get to fully recover and adjust to bringing a new person into the world shouldn't be dependent upon your financial situation. Everyone should have the opportunity to. Not just the well off and lucky ones who work for caring employers.

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The laws definitely need changed. At least 12 weeks paid--bare minimum--but I am not sure if the best funding strategy. If companies paid for it directly it could hurt small businesses and cause fewer companies to hire women of childbearing age. It could be paid through taxes but I do not want taxes to go up, so there would  eed to be a budget restructuring. Companies could be forced to offer better insurance for maternity leave to workers, but it could leave women in part-time jobs out unless companies are forced to provide benefits no matter what hours an employee works.

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If you don't think there's a problem, you are the problem.

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I moved to the USA from Australia with my American husband. We are now TTC and I am so shocked at my maternity leave options. My employer said that the best they can do is three months unpaid. In Australia, I would have had 6 to 12 months off with the first six months fully paid. I would have also been allowed to get back to work gradually - part time to begin with. Here, I have to be back to work full time after three months. I know that we chose to be here and therefore I can't complain... but when comparing US policies with the rest of the developed world, things need to change for parents.

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In Canada we get a whole year (which I think you can divy up with your SO any way you like). And our prime minister either wants too or already has extended maternity leave to 18 months so the father can spend more than a month or two at home. It's really an awesome system! That's why I'd never leave Canada tbh. 3-4 months of mat leave then right back to working? NO THANK YOU!

What do you think about US maternity/paternity leave laws?

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