In 2010, Australia implemented parental leave laws and the U.S. became the only industrialized nation and one of the few in the world not to mandate paid maternity leave. Many studies in the area analyze the effects of the polities of paid parental leave and explain the benefits and the problems of the society and the companies. In this work we will study why the U.S. resists to adopt these polities, what the americans think about this right and compare with the other countries.

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WHY DOESN’T THE UNITED STATES
HAVE A PAID PARENTAL LEAVE?
11/03/2017
Daniel Prado Castelo
École de Mines de Saint-Étienne

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Why do I chose parental leave?1
Contents
Parental leave: US x World2
Parental leave in US3
States policies in United States4
Influence of paid leave5
Why doesn't the US have a paid parental leave?6
Parental leave 2/16

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Why I chose parental leave?
Parental leave 3/16

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NO PAID LEAVE
 US
 Suriname
 Papua New Guinea
How is parental leave in the world? Maternity
Available: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_242615.pdf

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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50Weeks
Unpaid weeks
Paid weeks
Parental leave 5/16
NO PAID LEAVE
 US
 Suriname
 Papua New Guinea
How is paid parental leave in the world? Maternity
Source: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_242615.pdf
Europe Asia Oceania
South
America
Africa
North
America

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How is paid parental leave in the world? Paternity
Parental leave 6/16Available: https://www.worldpolicycenter.org/policies/is-paid-leave-available-for-fathers-of-infants

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How does parental leave work in US?
 Guarantee 12 weeks of unpaid leave every
year
 Only for companies with more than 50
employees
 Employees at least 12 months and 1250 hours
 Paid leave is entirely voluntary
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of
1993
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
(PDA) of 1978
Parental leave 7/16
 Prohibit sex discrimination on the basis of
pregnancy
 Cover discrimination on the basis of
pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical
conditions

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85%
15%
Percentage of workers
with unpaid family leave
Access No access
12%
88%
Percentage of workers with
paid family leave
Access No access
How many employees have this benefits in US?
Parental leave 8/16
PROBLEM!!
88% no access
Source:Bureau of Labor Statistics [4]: https://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/benefits/2013/ownership/private/table21a.htm
0
5
10
15
20
25
Lowest
wage (Less
than 25%)
Between
25% and
50%
Between
50% and
75%
Highest
wage
(more
than 75%)
Percentage
Worker’s wage
Percentage of workers with paid family
leave

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How are States policies in US?
Parental leave 9/16
Sources: “Paid Parental Leave in the United States”. Institute for women’s polity research.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2016/04/06/as-ny-and-sf-pass-paid-family-leave-these-20-states-could-be-next/#56ec55f7343a
 Today
• California
• Rhone Island
• New Jersey
55%
60%
67%
PAY AMOUNT
(of weekly wages)
STATE
0 2 4 6
WEEKS OF PAID MATERNITY LEAVE
6 WEEKS
6 WEEKS
4 WEEKS
New mandate (2018)
100%
PAY AMOUNT
(of weekly wages)
 Future
NEW YORK
12 WEEKS

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No paid parental leave influence
 Psychologic and emotional difficult
 Return to work or take care of baby?
 If the mothers return before:
 Breastfeeding problem
 Decrease the neurological development of baby
 Strengthen a child’s immune system
Problems after birth
Parental leave 10/16
$ 0,80
$ 0,71
Gender inequality
Full-time pay in US
Women
Mothers
Source:https://nwlc.org/resources/the-wage-gap-for-mothers-state-by-state-2016/ and US Department of Health and

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Paid parental leave benefits
 Decreases morbidity and mortality
 Increase vaccination rates
 Paternal engagement
Economy
Parental leave 11/16
Health
Source:https://nwlc.org/resources/the-wage-gap-for-mothers-state-by-state-2016/ and US Department of Health and
Human Services.
More time to take care
of babies!
 Increase the probability of return to work after childbirth
 Improve employee morale
 Increase the workplace productivity
 Employers could reduce the cost in long term  productivity

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Who pays parental leave?
Parental leave 12/16
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Weeks
Which are the best paid maternity leave in big
companies?
Tech companies. Why?
 Flexibles companies
 Work with innovations
 Inclusive workplace
Source: http://workplace.care.com/50-companies-with-great-maternity-leave [2]

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Why doesn't the US have a paid parental leave?
Parental leave 13/16
Strong capitalism
Individualism
Economic liberalism
Diminished American
labor movement
Business lobbying

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Why doesn't the US have a paid parental leave?
Parental leave 14/16Jessica Shortall
Special help!

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Thank you!
Questions?
Parental leave 15/16

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References
Sources:
1. http://www.worldpolicycenter.org/
2. http://workplace.care.com/50-companies-with-great-maternity-leave
3. Maternity and paternity at work - Law and practice across the world. 2014
4. https://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/benefits/2013/ownership/private/table21a.h
tm
5. Expanding Federal Family and Medical Leave Coverage
6. Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs -
https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF_3_4_Childcare_support_May2014.pdf
7. Barbara Gault, Ph.D. Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D. Ariane Hegewisch Jessica Milli,
Ph.D. Lindsey Reichlin. 2014. “Paid Parental Leave in the United States”.
Institute for women’s polity research.
8. Rebecca Ray, Janet C. Gornick, and John Schmitt. 2008. “Parental Leave
Policies in 21 Countries”. Center for economic and polity research.
9. National partnership for women & families. 2016. “Expecting Better: A
State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help Expecting and New Parents”
Fourth Edition. National partnership for women & families.
10. OECD Family database - Social Policy Division. 2015. Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development.
<https://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF2_1_Parental_leave_systems.pdf>
(accessed March 26, 2017).
11. Fried, Mindy. 1998. “Taking time: Parental Leave Policy and Corporate
Culture Woman in the Political Economy”. Temple University Press.
12. Jessica Shortall. October 2015. “The US needs paid family leave, for the
sake of its future”. TED TALKS.
<https://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_shortall_how_america_fails_new_par
ents_and_their_babies?l anguage=> (accessed March 29, 2017).
Parental leave 16/16