Should Women Have Paid Leave Essay
This chapter introduces one of the leading causes of inequality in the workforce between men and women: lack of paid leave for working mothers bearing children. Caroline strongly argues not only will paid leave strengthen family relationships and raise them out of or prevent destitiution, it will also result in equity for almost every individual in the workforce. Unfortunately, but not surpisingly, only eleven percent of the workforce has paid leave, those in which who are highly paid white men. Consequently, there is a significant amount of poor and middle-class families negatively impacted. The Family and Medical Leave Act contributed to this devastating reality for younger, low-wage working women, especially women of color. This act was
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To be eligible for time off, one’s employer must have fifty or more employees and workers must have put in 1,250 hours in the previous year to be qualified. Less than forty percent of workers qualified because companies strategically identified workers as “part-time” and “independent contractors. Due to stigmas and stereotypes, men are less likely to use their benefits of paid leave which leads to undivided household responsibilites. The FMLA had no positive significant impact on motherhood success because majority of the women who qualified could not afford to lose wages. With limited time off from work, women and children were at high risk for health complications. Mothers neglected their psycological and emotional needs, their children lacked proper health care and they remained static in the workplace. Collectively, individuals, labor, civil right groups and women organizations advocated for paid leave and pushed for more specific protections in states such as California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Still, that wasn’t enough for everyone to be included. Low-income, minority and young women were least likely to be aware of such essential
To be eligible for time off, one’s employer must have fifty or more employees and workers must have put in 1,250 hours in the previous year to be qualified. Less than forty percent of workers qualified because companies strategically identified workers as “part-time” and “independent contractors. Due to stigmas and stereotypes, men are less likely to use their benefits of paid leave which leads to undivided household responsibilites. The FMLA had no positive significant impact on motherhood success because majority of the women who qualified could not afford to lose wages. With limited time off from work, women and children were at high risk for health complications. Mothers neglected their psycological and emotional needs, their children lacked proper health care and they remained static in the workplace. Collectively, individuals, labor, civil right groups and women organizations advocated for paid leave and pushed for more specific protections in states such as California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Still, that wasn’t enough for everyone to be included. Low-income, minority and young women were least likely to be aware of such essential