Paid Parental Leave

[Master]

Trump's current budget proposal includes establishing a paid leave program (up to 6 weeks) for new parents. It would be run through the unemployment benefit system (details are still scarce).

Assuming the GOP supports this, the Dems should have no opposition. That would mark a major improvement for US workers in general in my opinion. Anyone disagree and think the free market should decide which workers get time off as new parents (including adoptions)?

[Thanos6]

Six weeks isn't enough, but it's a good start.

Of course, knowing Republicans, there's probably some language hidden in there saying "if you take this leave you agree to forfeit your free speech rights forever" or something...

[Not BAMF]

Going with my totally selfish gut answer on this one and saying: fuck people who have kids. Where's my 6 weeks off?

[NeoGreenLantern]

As someone who is a relatively new father parent leave isn't time off. It's a lot closer to medical leave.

[Not BAMF]

Then you should have to use your sick leave balance for it. And if you do that, I'm more okay with it.

[therock]

it sounds good.  But that without knowing what else in the budget

[MTL76]

Who pays for it?

The government? Taxes go up.

Private business? Prices go up, and it's a lot harder on small businesses.

Pick a number of employees a company must have before they're responsible for paying for it? Small businesses will downsize until they're just under that number, or hire a bunch of part-time employees.

[GeneralPresidentSkeletor]

Depending on where you live in the US, there's already some form of this. Here in Cali it's FMLA, and it's 12 weeks. The purpose of it is to protect your employment while you are out for an extended amount of time, generally for medical purposes (which childbirth falls under). You do not receive full pay, however. I believe it's 60%. There's quite a bit of paperwork to fill out, and you can use vacation time to supplement the pay, if you have it available.

Speaking as someone versed in early childhood development, those 1st few weeks are incredibly important in establishing the bond between parent and child on a social-emotional and cognitive level. Mother and father. This is a good thing. But of course, people with no understanding of the beneficial gain to parents, and particularly to the child, will whine about "their 6 weeks, too".

[MTL76]

My post probably gave the wrong impression, but I strongly agree with that, and with the idea of parental leave in general, for mothers and fathers. It's a sign of how crazy our society is that there is daycare for essentially newborns. I just wonder how it will be implemented.

It never occurred to me that FMLA could be used for parental leave but it makes perfect sense.

[Von Doom]

it sounds good.  But that without knowing what else in the budget

Exactly this. But when anyone fights against the budget, they will have this part of it thrown back at them. "Oh, I thought you were for families and working single parents. Yet you voted against the budget that included just that. Ho ho. Looks like you don't actually...." followed by 10 minutes of pure stomach-churning smarm.

"Well, that part was good, but you included $10B in subsidies to build Christian churches, cut all medical benefits to anyone not already worth $100M+, and created a million dollar slush fund for Cabinet member hooker parties."

"YOU DENIED PARENTAL LEAVE"

And idiots will eat it up.

[therock]

it sounds good.  But that without knowing what else in the budget

Exactly this. But when anyone fights against the budget, they will have this part of it thrown back at them. "Oh, I thought you were for families and working single parents. Yet you voted against the budget that included just that. Ho ho. Looks like you don't actually...." followed by 10 minutes of pure stomach-churning smarm.

"Well, that part was good, but you included $10B in subsidies to build Christian churches, cut all medical benefits to anyone not already worth $100M+, and created a million dollar slush fund for Cabinet member hooker parties."

"YOU DENIED PARENTAL LEAVE"

And idiots will eat it up.

What frustraing is republica so much better at that then the dems.

[Master]

To clarify on the FMLA, the baseline use of FML protects your job for 12 weeks unpaid. States can add pay if they wish in their laws but many don't.

[XerxesTWD]

Going with my totally selfish gut answer on this one and saying: fuck people who have kids. Where's my 6 weeks off?

Do you know how economies work?

[NeoGreenLantern]

Then you should have to use your sick leave balance for it. And if you do that, I'm more okay with it.

Why? You would be able to use it to as long as you meet the requirements. Are you against berievement time? It's another conditional time off. Workers comp also.