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Without parental leave I might be dead

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141–150 of 570 posts

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#141
post #107
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, saying "other countries do it" isn't really an answer. That's like saying why are incomes in Mexico so much lower than the US? Just do what the US does. In fact, Mexico has 12 weeks. And Greece has 40. I'd rather be a parent in the US than Greece or Mexico. Policies don't exist in a vacuum.

> Mexico has 12 weeks. And Greece has 40. And Sweden has 480 days. Poland 1 year. Switzerland 20 weeks. Ireland 26 weeks. UK 52 weeks. Canada 50 weeks. Norway 12 months. Denmark 52 weeks. France 16 weeks for mothers and 4 weeks for fathers. I can go on. There's 120 such countries in the world. BTW that leave is on top of 20-30 days of paid vacations each year and unlimited paid health leave in most of these countries…

It's always amusing to hear Americans act like basic social programs are impossible to implement as if they're living in a vacuum. I usually have to show them these charts: https://mobile.twitter.com/michalwols/status/145489419148668... or a comparison of cost of education/healthcare and ask them to explain why America is the only country that can't do it.

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#142
post #70

My first child is due January. I sat down with my boss about a month or so ago and told him I'm intending to take parental leave. "No problem" he said, I told him my intention was to take the full 8 weeks I'm entitled to. He didn't say anything right away to that... eventually it was more of a "...that's not typical for the guys around here" We did a bit of back and forth. (I think he went to HR to find out he can't…

Without knowing your company in detail, based on what you describe and general business practices, I'd be willing to bet that they'd fire you in no time if you ever stopped providing value for them. So why be loyal at all? 8 weeks is crumbs, and you even had to fight for that. I mean if you've been a solid employee for X years, briefly asking for a bit of time off for a life changing event should be absolutely fine, instead of the miserly response you describe. Just a bit of outsider's perspective, but I'd say you're hardly working with people who really respect you beyond their bottom line.

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#143
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, saying "other countries do it" isn't really an answer. That's like saying why are incomes in Mexico so much lower than the US? Just do what the US does. In fact, Mexico has 12 weeks. And Greece has 40. I'd rather be a parent in the US than Greece or Mexico. Policies don't exist in a vacuum.

Why US can't have better parental leave policies when Greece, France, or Mexico can?

You might not want to use Greece or Mexico as a good example. One is literally a 3rd world country and the other had to be bailed out by the EU. So, no they actually can't monetarily support those policies.

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#144
post #7

I believe parental leave should be provided, but I don't see how anyone expects employers to shoulder the burden of providing paid parental (in reality maternity) leave without an implicit bias towards hiring men (or at least paying women less). You can provide the same benefit to men and women, but let's be honest, even when available most men take only a fraction of the allowed time. I guess you can force people to…

> You can provide the same benefit to men and women, but let's be honest, even when available most men take only a fraction of the allowed time.

Make it mandatory ?

In my country it's mandatory for my employer to let me take my vacation days. They are risking fines if they don't make sure I do and I can't give up on these vacation days either.

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get you now. You mean the bigger system of mandating benefits to be paid for by future taxes, not specifically paid parental leave. I still don't agree it's a Ponzi scheme because it's not soliciting investments with promises of big payoffs unless you count paying taxes as investing. I would agree that is shares an important property with a Ponzi scheme. It will fail when it can no longer increase the amount that g…

I call it a Ponzi scheme because there’s a discrete payoff - having a child and receiving paid time off. Taxes in general aren’t a Ponzi scheme because many of the things paid for by taxes are continuous - less people, less tax collection needed. Tax collection for roads being an example. Parental leave and the amount of taxes necessary is more contingent on the future population than the present.

>I call it a Ponzi scheme because there’s a discrete payoff - having a child and receiving paid time off.

By this definition, my job is a Ponzi scheme.

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#146
post #137

Maybe you should not live somewhere so expensive and stop spending money on unnecessary things. You can switch to eating cheap food and minimize your expenses. If you are just making ends meet you are not financially responsible.

May I suggest these informative articles? • 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Being Poor , May 27, 2011: https://www.cracked.com/blog/5-things-nobody-tells-you-about... • The 5 Stupidest Habits You Develop Growing Up Poor , January 19, 2012: https://www.cracked.com/blog/the-5-stupidest-habits-you-deve... • 4 Things Politicians Will Never Understand About Poor People , February 21, 2013: https://www.cracked.com/blog/4-t…

1. Okay

2. This article would be better for poor people to read.

3. Okay

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#147

I really cant understand the logic of forcing women back into work after 2-4 weeks. Its just not beneficial for anyone. The mum is utterly frazzled. The employer gets half an employee back Society is conditioned to think that the only practical way to raise a baby is to give up on work/get live in care. now, to look at it from a "my mum managed, I don't want to undermine the american nuclear family" point of view: Ye…

Maybe we should look at why three sectors of the economy have had insane cost growth for three plus decades (housing, healthcare, education) and fix that instead of trying to band aid the negative consequences?

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#148

Maybe you should not live somewhere so expensive and stop spending money on unnecessary things. You can switch to eating cheap food and minimize your expenses. If you are just making ends meet you are not financially responsible.

> Maybe you should not live somewhere so expensive .. What should e.g. waiters / waitresses do then? Drive to work for hours every day so they can serve coffee to those who can afford to live where they need to work? You make it sound simple but it is not.

idk find another job maybe

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#149

Maybe you should not live somewhere so expensive and stop spending money on unnecessary things. You can switch to eating cheap food and minimize your expenses. If you are just making ends meet you are not financially responsible.

What a grade A asshole you are

Well okay then.

Re: Without parental leave I might be dead

#150

I really cant understand the logic of forcing women back into work after 2-4 weeks. Its just not beneficial for anyone. The mum is utterly frazzled. The employer gets half an employee back Society is conditioned to think that the only practical way to raise a baby is to give up on work/get live in care. now, to look at it from a "my mum managed, I don't want to undermine the american nuclear family" point of view: Ye…

As a parent who got 6 months that barely fucking scratches the surface of the time it take to raise a human.

Subsidize me until they are in public school and I’ll high five you.

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