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CALL FOR PAID MATERNITY LEAVE
Monday, 29 September, 2008RELATED CONTENT
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Do you think paid maternity leave could be a disincentive to employ women? Australia and the United States are the only developed countries that do not have paid maternity leave across the workforce.
COMMENTS
First [1] LastAs an Australian, I thought it was my responsability to pay for my choices in life.But, it seems to me that it is my responsability to pay for other peoples choices too.If someone decides to have children, then thats their choice and its one they should pay for. Lets put it this way, how would the tax payer like it if I was to put the down deposit on a Ferrari and let the tax payer pay for the rest? Im sure they wouldnt like it, but hey thats my choice. If you cant pay for your choices in life, dont expect the tax payers to pay them. Sex discrimination?? Where does that come into it? My mother and grandmother didnt get the baby bonus or maternity leave so what makes this generation think that their entittled to this subsidy.__ GREED.
User Pays. No other method is fair. Where does it stop? What will be next? Will I have to pay for somone else's kids' education, and other expenses? What the hell is this? You choose to have kids you pay. Use a HECS like scheme for those who want maternity leave, buggered if I am going to pay for someone elses snotty nosed brats. If I have to pay taxes to support somone else's kids' then I want access rights! I'll put the little blighters to work and they can pay off their debt to me! Sounds fair... ;)
Not if we introduce mandatory fathers' leave. Then people can't hire either men or women. Yes the woman will be off for months but so will the man. The fact that Australia does not have paid maternity leave makes me so ashamed. Its 2008 and women are still classed as second class citizens in a nation like ours.
I just felt I would give a comment to this as it was a bit shocking for me from eastern europe to find out there is actually no support from Australian government at all. EU commisioner for social affairs has just suggested 100% salary level for period of 18 months to encourage the population growth. Currently different coutries of EU have got various policies in place (Czech republic offers some money for max 3.5 years! if you stay at home for a shorter period of time, you get more). Similarly, non existing sick pay in Austalia is also difficult to understand. Both is a part of what is understood as "Quality of life". Australia is a great country but you have been following Americans for too long. A child cannot become a solid personality if mother has not got the time or energy to look after.
Apart from gaining kudos for Corporate Social Responsibility, there is no incentive in employing a person who will quite possibly take off months of paid leave. However, the issue should not be about incentives for the business community. The issue is about providing employees with security whilst they try to maintain a life outside of work.
I know this will be a tad unpopular but what benefit will be provided to those women who decide not to have kids to even the playing field? I know my wife would like the time or money... and despite what the Rev George Pell may say (to paraphrase - breed or the yellow/islamic hordes will get us), our planet is drastically overpopulated and current rates are unsupportable in the long run...
It's disgusting that women are put into this moral dilemma. Children or my job? Women should be entirely supported if they make the decision to have children. There should be no such disincentive to employ women due to their choice to have a child. The government should entirely support the early months that the mother is away from work. In a changing world, one would think that the beauty of having children wouldn't come at such a cost.
Yeah, I think it will. It's better to continue our Taliban-like treatment of women or else we won't have enough money to fight John's and George's wars. Current cost to date $2B and climbing. A paid maternity leave system for women would probably cost half as much... What a waste.
It might be but employers can always employ older women passed child bearings age. They're plenty around.
This is our society's responsibility. Not businesses'. The government should have the same structure like welfare system to pay for maternity leave.