Eng 147 - Non-Beneficial Benefits

Non-Beneficial-Benefits

Tamisha Miles

English 147

08/15/16

Carrie Schlitz/ Dr. Leslie K. Adams

Non-Beneficial Benefits

In today’s workforce women are expanding their roles as working parents. They are conquering the boardroom as well as taking time to coordinate a fundraiser for their children’s school. Men are also sharing in the responsibility of raising children and creating a work life balance. But when time off is needed when bringing children into the world and the parents aren’t paid enough or at all to support their growing families. It seems as if a change is needed. FMLA, the Family Medical Leave Act, does not provide employees with families with an adequate amount of time away from work, does not give enough consideration to fathers who wish to take paternity leave, and does not consider the financial burden that taking unpaid leave has on families.  

The fact that the United States does not offer paid family leave should be a thing of the past. But,  “The United States is one of just three that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave, the others being Oman and Papua New Guinea.” (Peck & Covert, 2014). That includes maternity, paternity, and sick leave. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 gives employees 12 unpaid weeks off for maternity leave, compared to England’s 52 weeks paid time off. The United States really should think about updating their policy on maternity leave.

While maternity leave needs improvement in the United States, paternity leave needs a complete revision. The U.S. doesn’t make it easy for fathers to take time off for the birth of a newborn or adopted baby. They either choose unpaid time off or exhaust all of their sick and vacation time in order to spend time with the new addition to their family. According to Kaufman and Lynette ”While facing family unfriendly employers, American fathers are burdened with how to deal with using unpaid leave. Sometimes using their sick and vacation time to spend with a new baby.” (Kaufman, Lynette, & Crompton 2010). In England’s case, they offer at least 2 weeks paid time off. I believe that both countries have improvements to make in terms of paternity leave.