Yet with these worker and family friendly policies in place, productivity in many countries — France,Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, to name a few — is higher than in the United States.
In the United States, collective bargaining coverage — the percentage of workers who are covered by and can exercise their workplace rights — is about 8 percent for private sector workers and 12 percent overall, far lower than any other democracy in the world. This gap really makes a difference when it comes to annual and sick leave, pensions, health care coverage and other policies that improve the quality of life of all of us.
Click on the image below to enlarge so you can see the numbers, Blogger squishes it down so you can't read anything:
If you've clicked on them you'll notice that Sweeden get 72 weeks PAID maternity leave!!! So who's coming to Sweeden with me then...we can leave tomorrow, I can pack tonight I'm a lightening fast packer when I need to be!!The image/graph also states that:
- Australia get 0 weeks paid maternity - we'll visit Australia another time ok!
- Oh Canada gets 56 weeks - now remember guys there's 52 weeks in a YEAR!!!
- France gets 16 weeks paid - not bad!
- Japan gets 14 weeks - I'm suprised that this wasn't higher actually.
- Spain gets 16 weeks - We can go to Spain right after we go to the UK
- UK gets 18 weeks - hmm half of 52 is 26, that means they get nearly half a year!!
- US gets...drum roll please......0 WEEKS paid maternity leave right up there with Australia!!!
I don't think I need to say anything more do I? Comments welcomed!!!!
Isn't that just amazing?! My friend from Germany says they get 2 years off when they have a baby. Over here in CA we do get a tiny bit of a benefit...they offer "paid family leave" under FMLA for 6 weeks. It's not full pay, but it does help. So if you get 6 weeks disablity from your doctor, you can take another 6 weeks after that from the state. Not too bad, but it's not full pay and it's not a year! makes you sick doesn't it?!
ReplyDeleteHere in FLA, we also get the 6 weeks under disability law, but it's still not enough time...so sad.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that you write about this b/c my husband and I were just talking about this the other day!
I think that it's ridiculous that we live in such a society that doesn't celebrate families, it punishes us with terrible health care and terrible benefits.
I am sometimes just disgusted by my own country and the people who run it.
Do you think that if moms were able to stay home longer with paid maternity leave it would change the way our society is headed?
{America}..one day they will wake up! Maybe?
ReplyDeleteI knew Canada got 1 yr but they actually get more than a year. WOW!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was pregnant with my first I was so impressed with all of my Canadian friends who received 1 year paid maternity leave. Really opened my eyes that in some places motherhood truely is valued and championed.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing the differences from company to company too. My husband is blessed to receive paid paternity leave for our children. When my brother had my new niece a few weeks ago he was back at work by the time she was 2 days old. So sad that while family is supposed to be such an important value the almighty dollar still wins out.
Our society will only continue to get worse, b/c parents can't afford to raise their kids.
ReplyDeleteI'm truly lucky to be able to stay home, but things would be a lot easier if I could work. But I couldn't get a job paying enough to put two kids in daycare and still make a big enough profit.
BECAUSE child care in the US is so through the roof. It's a huge expensive cycle.
Hm. Go figure.
Chrissy
That America!!More money for the rich.
ReplyDeleteSo, I know exactly where to go to have my kids.
ReplyDeleteAnybody want to move to Canada??? You'd have at least one friend up here in Red Deer Alberta! Have a great day! Kim
ReplyDeleteWe are woefully behind so much of the world inj so many things...time off for workers is one. Especially for new parents, So sad...
ReplyDeleteMy sis i law got less than 4 weeks...she cried every morning for weeks as she left the baby. I had him and she knew he was safe but it was way too soon for her to have to leave him.
Have a great weekend dear Muffin!
Hugs,
Sue
Canada has it going on. Just think about it. If you wanted 3 kids back to back, you can plan that to where you'll be off a whopping 3 years+. The U.S. really should look at this and society here....It could tell ya alot. Luckily I paid waaay too much into disability and was able to get 10 weeks off (4 before delivery) and then another 6 weeks off "to bond with my baby." But after that, I had to take another 4 months off WITHOUT pay.
ReplyDelete