How can equality in the workplace be achieve as long as women?

Question

. . .as long as women women take more paid and unpaid maternity leave than men? Should fathers be forced to take the same amount of time off?

Answer 1

It will never happen, not even in Sweden.

Answer 2

I think mothers and fathers should both get maternity leave but I also think that women should not be considered unequal just because we are the ones who have the babies and therefore require time off.  Many women have proven that they can come back after maternity leave and be just as focused and driven as they were before.  I think that where there is still any sign of inequality it is simply because there are still a few men out there who haven't come to terms with the fact that women are just as worthy and able as they are.  Yes men and women may have a few different strengths but we are equal.  

Also, to finish answering your question, I don't think anyone should be forced to take maternity or paternity leave but I think that workplaces should do a better job of allowing men to bond with their babies as easily as most women can.  I also think that 6 weeks of maternity and paternity leaves should be paid; otherwise it is like punishing people for having families.  Most other civilized countries do offer paid maternity leave and America is way behind on this trend.

Answer 3

So if I'm an employer and I'm forced by law to give paid maternaty leave to a woman. Most people would say well I just won't employ a woman under 35 to reduce my odds of losing all that money. Temp workers cost a fortune to hire. the more people push for maternity leave the worse off women become.

So you're gonna say "but that's illigal". well yes it's illigal to discriminate but if in my work force of 100 only 35 of them are female and out of that only 7 are under 35 and of those 7 I reckon at least 4 have already had the kids they are gonna have that only leaves me at risk with 3. I've descriminated but I'm well within the law and women HAVE suffered

Think this doesn't happen? WAKE UP. Women can't have it both ways. I would grant unpaid maternity leave, as much as you want. and to a point garentee your job, but not after a year!!

Companies are working for margins. If you want a kid, work to the position where you can afford one. Don't feel like you have a right for other people to pay

Answer 4

feminist man haters will use the arguement that "women should't be discriminated for taking time off".

    Ok suppose laws where entacted to make it so women who leave temperarly for child birth and leave for one, two or three years still get all the benifits when they come back as if they never left what would the consequences be?

  Suppose a women and I got hired at a company at the same time.

   We are both good workers, but she takes a year off to have a kid.

   Well I am still working during the one year and she comes back with full salary,raises and promotion as if she never left would having me feeling like my work was for nothing. Then add the fact that companys are being pressured to promote women just because there women..

Imagine if she came back and was promoted over you?

I bet anyone in that situation would be ticked off.

       By treating women who left the workplace for an extended time (more than 6 months) as if they never left would be more discriminatory and sexist against men then the current system is towards women.

Because women have the choice to take off and the hard workers who picked up the slack and did there job did not have a choice if she should get pregnant. So your stealing from the people who worked hard to give to someone because they wanted to have a child.

Such actions would only further demoralize men. As it stand's men, particularly caucasian men are the most demoralized element in western society.

Men are more opressed and demoralized now at this point in western history then women ever where.

Answer 5

not to get off-topic, but to adress some points made.

Why the heck should somebody who takes a year-two years off from work be at the same level as the guy who worked his *** off for those years?

YOU made the choice to have a kid, not the company. The company doesn't have to compensate you for your choices.

This is why i think maternity/paternity leave is folly.

And not to seem unsympathetic to the pain and hardship of childbirth(i really feel for you, i've seen births in birthing rooms, i dont envy that to be sure), but 18 months to recover from childbirth? I broke a main bone in my arm, like completely snapped it, so that a jagged piece was sticking out of my arm(i could see the bone looking down at my arm) and i was back to work in 3 months, albeit i wasn't the same for about a year.

There is no way you require 2 years of paid leave for childbirth, the child will be a toddler by them for crying out loud.

Answer 6

Most businesses would love to have unlimited maternity/paternity leave, plus luxury creches. However most business know that this would cause them to go bust before you can say 'kindergarten'. However feminists are so focused on 'equal' rights and 'discrimination' against women that they are prepared to bankrupt economies to achieve this. Well done feminists for ranting endlessly about another great idea that is totally unworkable in the real world.

Answer 7

Women can take maternity leave because men and women are different!  They gave birth.  Come on!  Women need the time to recover and to take care of their new life!

Answer 8

Whats the average time a father gets off? idk.

I know the military specs.  

Military mother has child, 2 months.

military fathers child is born, 10 day guaranteed up to 30 day allowed/available to him.

At least for the military situation, one could argue that easily two months is needed to be able to physically go back to work....with a normal birth if there are complications the healing time could be longer.  

Answer 9

There should be no maternity leave.

If you choose to add a baby to this overpopulated world you should pay for it yourself.

Answer 10

I think the question is, is there enough paid maternity leave?

Answer 11

Paternity leave.  Yes.  The Danish government is doing all it can to encourage MORE men to stay home with their babies/

*Paid paternity leave is common in Europe.  Workers in general get a better deal: in Germany workers get 8 weeks paid summer vacation, and that's just a start.

'Quality time thrills Nordic dads

Scandinavia has some of the most generous paternal leave provisions

Paternity leave schemes in Denmark and Iceland are among the most generous in the world - and new statistics prove the benefits to society, experts say.'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/462963...

Answer 12

Preaching to the choir man. I'm interested to see the female answer on this question.

Answer 13

I'll tell you this- my husband was only allowed 2 weeks of paid maternity leave. I can have up to 2 years. I took off one year (only 6 weeks was paid) and now I fall behind in salary and tenure. So as long as women chose to have a family, then lose in the workplace. As far as I see it because I had a baby I was discriminated against.  They should AT LEAST allow the fathers the same time off.  

Answer 14

Work is a competitive race.  Taking leave is like making pit stops.  The more pit stops you make, and the longer those stops are, the slower you run the race.  

If women make more and longer stops for childbirth, etc. they have to be way better than the others just to keep up, let alone get ahead.

Answer 15

Fathers can take paternity leave in most cases. I don't think any company denies this and he shouldn't be penalized for taking the time off.

No, fathers shouldn't be forced to take the time, but why should a woman be penalized for having a kid, especially if she does good job overall? Her performance should be looked upon more than whether she took maternity leave.

I imagine some people might abuse this, as every other benefit seems to be. However, I really don't think women who have a family should be penalized for doing so, especially if they are an exceptional employee.

Think about it this way - should you be penalized for taking 4 to 6 weeks for paternity leave if your wife has a child? Should you not get a promotion or a raise because you are having a family?

Answer that and you have the answer to this question.

Answer 16

It's not about equality the feminists here have shown that time and time again.

They want outcomes that benefit women without the hassle of having the same responsibilities as men. They want outcomes that they like not what is equal.

Answer 17

My (male) boss took almost 60 days of paternity leave.  He used his official paternity leave and then his vacation days that he had been saving.  I think that's plenty of time off.  Especially since while he was gone, I did his job and got paid 30% of what he was paid to be at home.

Answer 18

In canada men have paid paternity leave so that is a non issue for us. Oh by the way in Sweden and a lot of European countries they also have paid paternity leave.