Paid Leave Case Study

Words: 1956
Pages: 8

The current Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 allows women to receive 12 weeks unpaid leave if they are in a company with more than 50 employees for at least a year. Otherwise, the employer has no obligation to allow them to return to work, which is why women have the fear of switching jobs in the chance that they decide to have a family and become pregnant (Traister 15). Unpaid leave has many underlying flaws even though it sounds promising. “Forty percent of working women are ineligible,” because they don’t reach the Act’s requirements (McCloskey 19). Overall, to what extent does Paid Maternity affect women in the workplace? This paper addresses the struggle of being a working mothers and the decision to continue working. Companies …show more content…
President Nixon stated in a labor day address to the nation on September 6th, 1971, that job satisfaction is a direct link to productivity in the workplace (Nixon). Credibility of Nixon fell after Watergate scandal but his words regarding the connection between productivity and work fulfillment are verified in “The Economic Benefits of Paid Leave: Fact Sheet” which was prepared by the Democratic Staff of the Joint Economic Committee. Created in 1946, the Committee provides reports on economic situations and has concluded that businesses encounter increased productivity and employee satisfaction when offering paid leave (Congress Sheet). Women who have paid leave return to work more refreshed without having to worry about their children, experiencing an easier transition back to work.In the end, this results in a more productive workforce that includes …show more content…
Meanwhile, focus is put back on parents raising their children in a supportive, safe environment where mothers and fathers can both raise them. Companies that allow family leave counteract bias which supports equality of genders by closing wage gaps and diminishing stereotypes. Again, paid leave supports women who need the support the most while unpaid was only affordable to the mid to high class. Most importantly, working mothers benefit most when paid family leave is added. Paid family leave should be a regulated standard part of the United States’