Your morning political think piece...

[jodielyn10]

This article makes some excellent points and sheds light on something that I don't think gets enough attention.  Sure, the liberal maternity leave policies in other developed countries look fantastic...but what are the consequences to working women's advancement opportunities and wages? 

www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/upshot/when-family-friendly-policies-backfire.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0

I think the very end of the article made the best point: leave policies should be gender-neutral for numerous reasons: so women aren't penalized for using them, and because men are caregivers too!

[summergirl1211]

Interesting article. It doesn't surprise me in the least that companies are trying to get around the laws, or penalizing women for it. I do agree that a good place to start is making the policies gender-neutral. I know at our company we are given 12 weeks paid leave and up to 14 unpaid after that. But the nice thing is that either parent can take advantage of it, as long as they are considered the primary caregiver.

[britbratjf]

Well I don't find this surprising at all actually. Mandated leave policies cost companies money. Of course they are more going to look for a candidate that isn't going to cost them that money. I think even if policies are gender neutral companies are still going to be more likely to look at men for those positions bc I don't think men would even take advantage of as lomg of leave. I mean now in the US we have FMLA which men could use for paternity leave but most of them don't use it. Even if my H could have 12 weeks paid there's no way he would take it all, he'd go nuts not working for that long.

[xanthepants]

A good read. Interesting to look at other case studies and how it truly affects women in developed countries. I have no doubt it would probably backfire here as well if they gear it towards women only.