Maternity Leave: The Skinny

Maternity leave throughout the world is a hot-button topic for many. In the United States, it's also a point of contention. As a woman who has worked in different industries AND had children during my time there, I do have an interesting perspective on the matter. (As I am a mom, I'm going to focus on maternity leave here, we'll save the paternity leave discussion for another post.)TL:DR: If it isn't your leave, your family or your business, piss off! Previously I worked for the county, as a school teacher. You know, where children are the main priority. As allowed by law I was permitted to take 6-12 weeks of leave based on my current PTO and family choices. BUT this was only an option for me because1) I had been employed for over a year2) During that year I had at least 1250 hours3) I had followed the appropriate requirements for paperwork, etc.Several of my co-workers who were newly hired or had previous leave for other necessary issues were unable to take the recommended 6 weeks with enough pay to make their bills. Once you were placed on maternity leave your pay was a portion (often 40-60% of your regular pay), potentially subsidized by the government due to the company's size. What is not commonly known is that nowhere in the United States is a mother required to be paid for her leave, by law. If FMLA (usually the 12-week leave) is utilized it is done as a protection for one's position not including paid leave. As for my options, I was fortunate that both of my children were born in the spring so that I could be home with them for the summer vacation on top of my maternity leave. Those who have fall and winter babies are often required to return to work with much less time than I was afforded due to pay discrepancies and available leave. Many returned 3-4 weeks after childbirth and their children were placed in daycare or had other childcare options- not necessarily with the mother's partner.This current pregnancy has been a bit different from the maternity leave perspective. First, I own a small business. I am the sole employee of the LLC. As such, I am not able to afford myself a "maternity leave." This means that when I return from the hospital, I will still technically be "working." Does this spark the outrage and fist raising of "how dare you not give yourself a proper leave!" and "I can't believe you only have 3 days!"? No, not at all. In fact, I am essentially praised for doing life the way I have designed because it is my choice. The perks of this arrangement are that I work from home and my children stay with me during the day. This does not mean that things are easier, in fact, I can't imagine 3 kids under the age of 5 is easy in any scenario- but that's what we as a family have been blessed to have.On the flip side, I also work for a small (yet growing) business (characterized as having less than 50 employees) that is not required by law to provide any type of maternity leave assistance or benefits. They don't offer FMLA due to their size (nor should they have to) AND they are not required to provide leave pay as I have not worked for them for a full year. In this case, they have generously offered to not only ensure that I have a position upon my return, but that they are going to pay me for 6-weeks, at 100%! This is absolutely unheard of most anywhere in the US. On TOP of that, if I do find that I need more time due to unforeseen circumstances or the general chaos of having a child that is also an option for me to utilize. This is in addition to the unlimited... yes you read that correctly, UNLIMITED paid sick and vacation leave afforded to all employees. Yet this company gets flack for their "6-week" policy. What baloney is this!? Oh, and did I mention, I still get to work from home! My new baby will not be placed in daycare at 6 weeks. I will still be able to see to his daily needs as well as the needs of my other two. It's a similar situation to my own non-maternity-leave-job BUT I GET 6-WEEKS WITHOUT STRESS to heal, bond and adjust to this new chapter of life.Let's break it down further.-6-weeks 100% paid with the option to return later if necessary-Unlimited sick & vacation leave-Previously discussed policies specific to our family's needs-I WORK FROM HOMEYet this company is getting digitally vomited on because of comments such as "Germany gets 11 months off."Hi, I don't live in Germany. A few questions for those spouting this noise:Are the 11 months (or however long) paid? In full?Are these mothers worried about keeping their positions?Is there a fear that they won't be hired or promoted due to their current or potential pregnancies?Is the government subsidizing the pay for these mothers due to higher taxes?Do these mothers still have to choose if they use this leave on their own or share it with their partners?Does all of this mean that the current standards for US maternity leave need not be addressed and amended for better coverage? Of course, there is room for improvement. Does this mean that a small business should be reprimanded for doing above and beyond the minimum for the betterment of their company culture? Of course not! The systematic nature of double standards in this country are astounding. Hospitals, school systems, county and state government agencies, etc offer only what the law requires, and often unpaid, yet small businesses get shunned for overextending themselves to ensure the best comforts they can provide for their employees.What it comes down to is ultimately the choice that is most comfortable for each family.Can a family afford to take an extended leave without pay? Do they want that as an option? If afforded paid leave do they want to use their PTO to cover that absence? What does the childcare situation entail? Do they work in an office? Do they work from home? There are a variety of pieces to discuss that are unique to each family and what their path for the future includes. Judging a business, or a mother, for their choices regarding maternity leave without the full scope of the situation is a waste of time and energy.Our family is blessed to be in our current situation with the employment, leave and the understanding support from the company's owners. We do wish that all mothers (and partners) had the opportunity to engage in the open discussion, benefit options and policies we have been afforded. Maybe someday the US will get to a point where policies such as these are amended and improved for all but small businesses won't be able to lead the way to change without support from their communities. Before you flood the city with your negativity, get the full scope of the situation.