I don’t mean to kick up a shitstorm, but I’d like to get this out of my system. Maternity leave is unfair! At least it’s blatantly unfair to those of us who don’t decide to have children. I remember having an interesting debate on IHM’s blog regarding this some time ago. This also applies to men who get paternity leave.
The way I see it, having a child is a choice a parent makes. A difficult choice true, and one that entails a lot of suffering, but a personal choice nonetheless. Their choices are their own, and I assume they’re not doing it as a service to society, but for their own selfish reasons. So my point is that if parents can make a personal choice and get time off for it, non parents should also be given time off for their other personal choices.
So if I feel the need to go and do some soul searching for a few months, I should be able to get leave in the same way that maternity and paternity leave is granted. Both are personal choices and I feel both must be treated on an equal footing.
Some say that maternity leave is the same as accident leave. It’s not. An accident is just that- an accident. Becoming a parent is a choice. And granting someone leave for their choice and not doing the same for another is unfair treatment in my eyes.
Another view is that women bear all the discomfort of pregnancy and childbirth and so they should be granted leave. But again, isn’t that a choice to bear that discomfort for their personal reasons? Moreover, suppose I want to go explore the jungles, that too is a dangerous undertaking and might even kill me. Will I get leave (paid or unpaid) for a few months to pursue my dream? No.
Some say that women in India don’t really have a choice to become pregnant. While this is certainly true in many cases, I feel that a woman working for a company that’s sophisticated enough to give maternity leave isn’t as helpless as another woman in the villages. Moreover, being forced to have a child is a bad reason to have one. If domestic violence is an issue, then the problem is not maternity leave but something else entirely! Also, maternity leave is common not just in India, but also in developed countries the world where women aren’t coerced into getting pregnant.
Finally, there are those who say that having a child is a service to society. I have to say “Gimme a break!” No woman chooses to get pregnant saying “I must do this for the good of mankind” and in India I don’t think extinction of the race is anywhere around the corner.
So what’s the deal here? Why is maternity and paternity leave much more prevalent than say “Soul searching” leave, or just “Personal leave” for a few months in India?
[poll id=”23″]
Observe:
(1) Allowing women to make babies on the company’s time increases the birthrate and is good for society;
(2) Allowing women to kill off unborn generations at the abortion clinic does not harm the survival of humanity; does not reduce the birthrate and is a purely personal decision with no consequences for society (otherwise known as a woman’s “right to choose”).
Purely fabulous, ladies.
The way Baghwad “thinks” is priceless. All employees should get time off for “personal affairs”. Gee, Mommy is making her baby on the company’s time, Eddie is taking time off to play with his cats, Johnny is taking time off to go drag racing and Lucy is taking six months off at full pay to take care of Grandma. Who is doing the work and dealing with the disruptions? Why, let us all genuflect before “personal needs” and ignore the relevant question. Corporate socialism for everyone is the solution; so says the “mind” of the womb.
First off if you know something is going to bring a “Shit Storm”, then you already know your opinion onthe subject is either flawed or outlandish.
Here is where my shit comes flying back at your comment. My wife and I have a hard enough time as it is just being the two of us and we have twins. Daycare especially for twins is outrageous in price. I work a full time job as does my wife. Even with its still near impossible for us to be able to just get buy and we make 12/hr(each). The first few months is essential for establishing doctors appointsments(checkup and what not), also when a child is very young it isnt always possible to get child care for them. Again even if child care was possible it isnt affordable. Besides the fact how much sleep you lose with your child when they are born is astonishing. You more likely to lose your job and sanity in the process if both of the parents worked. I personally already have a hard enough time trying to not get fired because of unscheduled-vaction time because of my kids beign sick and day care wont keep them if they so much as have loose stool. A life a parents is damn near impossible living in a word full of irregular variables and unsurcummed surprises. I for one never try to get extra care of attention from anyone because it isnt right to ask for help when it was my choice to have a child(or in my case children). Even with that concept at some point in time you have to draw a line. Continued exposure to this type of environment is unhealthy at the least and deadly in some curcumstances. I personally feel they do not give enough to parents. I firmly believe in the beginning years of the childs life (ages 1 -3) the parent should be allowed a higher unscheduled-vacation/sick time because they are written up or terminated. Between daycares and kids in general it is nearly impossible for the parent or the child not to get sick.
Here is my opinion stop bitching, because once you fuck up or decide to have children whichever might come first your going to wish you kept your mouth shut. Besides without people who have children we wouldn’t have a society like we do today. People would be without jobs and businesses and merchandise would be far and few. Businesses thrive off the birth of children and continued grow requires it. So with logic in place it is only reasonable for a benefit to those whom have or will be having children.
Please take your selfish thoughts and opinions and lock them up. The world does not evolve around you.
In reply to ravic
Your decision. Your problem.
Ok here is my part two in regards to your statement with non-child leave time. By the way I had forgotten to mention the first time I personally am not upset with your comment and I apologize for my vaguer realism.
I also agree a none parent should be allowed time to grow. It is outlandish to suggest that we should live our lives never accomplishing what we want in our lives. When it comes to business it would make since to allow growth of a employee as it can benefit both the business and society. Most of all this will benefit the employers customers. I work in a call center so my potential to snap after working 40 or more hours a week is super high and common. I believe based off the stress of your job and the hours they could and should come to an alotted time off for personal growth.
Again dont take my vagure tongue and realism offensively. You gave your opinion in your anger an I just simply gave mine. :)
Quite agree with him. So if I was a woman & want special treatment at work all I need to do is get pregnant. If I am made redundant I can say it’s because I’m pregnant? what happend to equality? Women found out it not all that great & began to look for reasons for special treatment for them with out been seen as sexist? Men can’t have babies, well women can’t urinate standing up.
Maternity leave benifits is welfare some women only work for a year and then they get a year of maternity leave. Then they have another child after another year of work. I’m a stay-at-home mom and I never got maternity leave. If women want to go and work that’s their choice but why should we have to pay for it with our taxes. Nobody gives stay at home moms maternity leave benifits that’s unfair we do work too.