The Spotlight: The US is the only advanced economy that doesn’t mandate paid family leave. It’s certainly a hot topic, with everyone from the President to Silicon Valley weighing in. What will it take for us to join the rest of the world in supporting new parents?
The US is the ONLY industrialized country in the WORLD with 0 federally mandated paid parental leave.
Source: Vox
69% of countries offer up to 26 weeks of paid leave - and nearly 20% of countries offer more than 1 year.
Source: NPR
Some US workers are covered by the Family Medical Leave Act, which gives workers up to 12 weeks of UNPAID leave per year to care for family members.
But nearly 40% of American workers don’t even qualify for FMLA, because they either haven’t been at their job long enough or their company is too small.
No wonder a recent study found that 25% of working mothers in the US go back to work within two weeks of childbirth.
And 43% of women with children leave work voluntarily at some point in their career.
Source: TechRepublic
Luckily, some Silicon Valley companies are stepping up to take care of their employees.
Source: Time
And it’s working… the rate at which new moms left Google fell by 50% after the company increased paid maternity leave from 12 to 18 weeks.
If only state legislature followed Silicon Valley’s lead: only 8% of states have paid leave laws.
Source: Tech Republic
Which is a shame, since 91% of businesses in California reported positive or no impact on profitability after the state implemented paid maternity leave. America, it’s time to #LeadonLeave.
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