Latest news with #parentalleave
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
This Mom Is Going Viral For Sharing The Brutal Truth About Exactly What It's Like Being A Working Mom In America
Bringing home a new baby is tough enough, but the current United States parental leave policy can make things even more difficult. The US only guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave via Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) — with restrictions about the company's size and the employee's tenure — leaving new parents to determine if they can afford extra time with their newborn or to recover after birth. According to a 2019 Pew Research Center report, "the US is the only country among 41 nations that does not mandate any paid leave for new parents." They also noted that "the share of moms who are working either full or part time in the United States has increased over the past half-century from 51% to 72%, and almost half of two-parent families now include two full-time working parents." The National Institute for Health reports that on average, new moms go back to work after 10 weeks, and that longer leave is "seen primarily among economically advantaged groups, such as college educated, married parents who can afford to take unpaid leave." So it's no surprise that brookiethecookie, aka @adayinaeats on TikTok, recently went viral with a video in which she shared just how difficult the life of a working mother in the US can be. In the video, she can be seen crying at her desk, with a text overlay that says, "me at work because I'm watching my baby sit up for the first time through the monitor." @adayinaeats / Via "Being a working mom is so much harder than I could've imagined. Missing the milestones just breaks me," she said in the caption. Many commenters were immediately supportive and understanding. "One year of paid federal maternity leave NEEDS to be the standard. I'm glad women are getting louder about this, it's a huge issue," said one. "The US needs to figure something out bc being a parent in this country is so unfair." "The US is cruel to families. Every other developed nation has figured out the balance." "USA is a third world country in a Gucci belt." "It's crazy how a country can be so obsessed with controlling pregnancy but won't support moms after birth..." The conversation made its way over to Twitter (now X), where people discussed parental leave in other nations. "I'm on an 18-month paid leave through the government," said one person, alongside Canadian flag emojis. "In Scandinavian countries a year of parental is granted to both parents." Some commenters argued that this was a signal that moms shouldn't be working, period, and should be stay-at-home mothers if they have children. "Proof that marrying a good provider man is a flex. Being a girl boss isn't." "the government isn't responsible to give you time with your child. this is why choosing a good husband who allows you to be a stay at home mother is so important," another person said. "Ladies: Marry a provider husband so you can raise your kids." But others fought back, saying raising a family on one income wasn't affordable these days in America, and that it's important for women to pursue their careers as well. "sure, go ahead, please you guys show us how you provide for a full family with one salary in this economy," one person said. "we need women in universities in the workforce in positions of authority n power. that being said paid maternity leave until your baby is kindergarten age shld be a given." Another commenter pointed out that this isn't just a problem for moms; it's tough on all parents. "men want to see their babies firsts too and get upset about this EXACT SAME THING," they said. And finally, this person summed up the whole discussion pretty succinctly: "America core." You can see brookiethecookie's full video below. @adayinaeats / Via Now I'd love to know: if you're a working parent, what are your thoughts on the S's parental leave policies? What do you think would be an ideal amount of time to take off for new parents? And if you're not in the US, what is the parental leave like where you live? Let us know in the comments. And if you'd prefer to remain anonymous, you can fill out the form below.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
This Mom Is Going Viral For Sharing The Brutal Truth About Exactly What It's Like Being A Working Mom In America
Bringing home a new baby is tough enough, but the current United States parental leave policy can make things even more difficult. The US only guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave via Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) — with restrictions about the company's size and the employee's tenure — leaving new parents to determine if they can afford extra time with their newborn or to recover after birth. According to a 2019 Pew Research Center report, "the US is the only country among 41 nations that does not mandate any paid leave for new parents." They also noted that "the share of moms who are working either full or part time in the United States has increased over the past half-century from 51% to 72%, and almost half of two-parent families now include two full-time working parents." The National Institute for Health reports that on average, new moms go back to work after 10 weeks, and that longer leave is "seen primarily among economically advantaged groups, such as college educated, married parents who can afford to take unpaid leave." So it's no surprise that brookiethecookie, aka @adayinaeats on TikTok, recently went viral with a video in which she shared just how difficult the life of a working mother in the US can be. In the video, she can be seen crying at her desk, with a text overlay that says, "me at work because I'm watching my baby sit up for the first time through the monitor." @adayinaeats / Via "Being a working mom is so much harder than I could've imagined. Missing the milestones just breaks me," she said in the caption. Many commenters were immediately supportive and understanding. "One year of paid federal maternity leave NEEDS to be the standard. I'm glad women are getting louder about this, it's a huge issue," said one. "The US needs to figure something out bc being a parent in this country is so unfair." "The US is cruel to families. Every other developed nation has figured out the balance." "USA is a third world country in a Gucci belt." "It's crazy how a country can be so obsessed with controlling pregnancy but won't support moms after birth..." The conversation made its way over to Twitter (now X), where people discussed parental leave in other nations. "I'm on an 18-month paid leave through the government," said one person, alongside Canadian flag emojis. "In Scandinavian countries a year of parental is granted to both parents." Some commenters argued that this was a signal that moms shouldn't be working, period, and should be stay-at-home mothers if they have children. "Proof that marrying a good provider man is a flex. Being a girl boss isn't." "the government isn't responsible to give you time with your child. this is why choosing a good husband who allows you to be a stay at home mother is so important," another person said. "Ladies: Marry a provider husband so you can raise your kids." But others fought back, saying raising a family on one income wasn't affordable these days in America, and that it's important for women to pursue their careers as well. "sure, go ahead, please you guys show us how you provide for a full family with one salary in this economy," one person said. "we need women in universities in the workforce in positions of authority n power. that being said paid maternity leave until your baby is kindergarten age shld be a given." Another commenter pointed out that this isn't just a problem for moms; it's tough on all parents. "men want to see their babies firsts too and get upset about this EXACT SAME THING," they said. And finally, this person summed up the whole discussion pretty succinctly: "America core." You can see brookiethecookie's full video below. @adayinaeats / Via Now I'd love to know: if you're a working parent, what are your thoughts on the S's parental leave policies? What do you think would be an ideal amount of time to take off for new parents? And if you're not in the US, what is the parental leave like where you live? Let us know in the comments. And if you'd prefer to remain anonymous, you can fill out the form below.
Daily Mail
02-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Park worker faced nasty battle and a $13k invoice from employer when she resigned to care for premature baby
A Minneapolis Park and Recreation employee who quit her job to care for her baby was faced with a shocking ultimatum: return to work - or pay back over $13,000 in maternity leave. Indica Medeiros, who had worked in park maintenance since 2020 gave birth last fall to a baby that was born prematurely. The infant required intensive medical care with Medeiros and her husband, who still works for the Park Board, quickly realizing that returning to work wasn't feasible. The couple were unable to afford child care and their baby's condition demanded full-time attention at home. Ten days before her scheduled return, she informed the Park Board that she wouldn't be coming back and that she would be staying home full-time to raise her two children under age 2. Months after quitting, the Park Board sent Medeiros a $13,400 invoice demanding repayment for her parental leave benefits, citing a clause that required employees to return to work for at least four weeks following maternity leave or risk repaying the lot. The clause, buried in the Park Board's parental leave policy, sparked immediate backlash from labor leaders and the public. Medeiros was told repay all 12 weeks of paid parental leave or face legal action. When she asked to use her accrued sick and vacation days to buy time to arrange childcare, she said the Park Board denied her requests, terminated her employment, and sent her a bill. Medeiros' husband and father-in-law still work in the Minneapolis park system but no grandparent could help with early-morning childcare, and no daycare facility within budget opened before 6am - the time parkkeepers are expected to report for work. 'It was difficult trying to find something that checked all the boxes,' Medeiros said. 'And pricing, obviously, of day care is pretty outrageous.' Laborers Union Local 363, which represents park keepers, filed an unfair labor practice charge, accusing the agency of unilaterally enforcing a policy it never properly bargained over. 'They certainly never sent [the policy] to us,' said AJ Lange, business manager of Local 363. 'They've never enforced this rule before. I did a data request. They confirmed that they don't have any records of enforcing it, so they seem set on making an example of her.' The policy requires employees to return to work for four weeks after using paid parental leave or face a full demand for repayment. Facing union pressure, bad press, and a looming legal deadline, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has backed down, canceling its demand and pledging to change its parental leave policy before the state's sweeping new paid family leave law takes effect in 2026. 'It was scary to think that we would have to not only pay back this massive bill, but on top of our hospital bills,' Medeiros said. 'I was very shocked, because had I known that, I probably would have made different decisions, and it was very stressful on our family the first few months.' 'It was a huge relief to get the letter that they will no longer be legally pursuing me,' said Medeiros, the former parkkeeper at the heart of the dispute to The Minnesota Star Tribune. 'I'm glad that we were able to resolve this and move forward. I couldn't do it without the help from my union and the support of everyone I talked to. I'm glad I get to finally fully focus on my family and the health of my babies.' In the midst of the uproar, the state Department of Employment and Economic Development weighed in. Officials confirmed that under Minnesota's soon-to-be-implemented paid family leave law, employers will not be permitted to make parental leave benefits contingent on return-to-work requirements. Such conditions, the department said, would be illegal. It left the Park Board with few options and in a letter sent this week to Medeiros, MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura announced a sweeping reversal. 'With the new state law, MN Paid Family Leave, going into effect in January 2026, the MPRB has decided that it, in advance of the law becoming effective, will no longer make its PPL conditional upon returning to work' Bangoura wrote. 'In light of this change, the MPRB will not seek repayment from you of the $13,403.08 in PPL funds.' Bangoura added that the policy was originally 'instituted… to support parent-child bonding,' was being reformed to 'further that goal' and to better reflect the agency's stated values of supporting employees and families. The decision marks a dramatic about-face and a major win for Medeiros and her supporters. The Park Board had originally modeled its parental leave policy on the city of Minneapolis' policy but a city spokesperson confirmed to the Star Tribune the is also now adapting its policies to mirror that of the incoming state law. 'The city is working on implementing the new state law and will share more with city employees as the work continues,' spokesperson Jess Olstad said.
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Every dad should be able to put their child first', says MP
Yorkshire MP Luke Charters recently became the first MP to take extended paternity leave, just as the government began a review of parental leave and pay. Fathers in the region told the BBC current laws fail them and their families, especially the self-employed who often can't take any leave at all. "I'm a dad first and an MP second," Luke Charters explained as he began four weeks of paternity leave following the birth of his second 29-year-old Labour MP's office manager will cover his work in the York Outer constituency while he is away."Every dad should be able to put their child first and I think better paternity leave will help them do exactly that," he says."Hard-working dads who are freelancers or self-employed deserve paternity leave too, they deserve those precious memories at the start of their child's life."He adds: "It is important that they can do that essential caregiving and they can support their partner." Many new fathers struggle to take any paternity leave at all. Stefan Bratu, 40, from Leeds, says he and his partner Rose are not sure if they will be able to have a second cannot receive statutory paternity leave and pay if they are self-employed or earn less than £125 a says his new role as a self-employed senior business analyst means he would have to fit another baby around his ability to take unpaid leave. "I'll be honest, the idea of a second baby feels one million miles away," he says."I don't get holidays, sickness, anything like that, so taking considerable time off to help look after another baby without being paid would be financially really tough."Stefan says even having two weeks off at a statutory weekly rate of either £187.18 or 90% of a father's average weekly earnings - whichever is lower - was "upsetting" after his son was born as he didn't like leaving his partner on her is involved with Dadshift, a group which has been campaigning for better paternity leave in the Alex Lloyd Hunter says a lack of decent paternity leave and pay means fathers "can't be as present as they want"."Without longer, properly-paid paternity leave, new mums are left struggling alone, dads and non-birthing parents face an impossible choice between bonding with their baby and earning to pay the bills," he says. "Children miss out on all the benefits to their development and happiness that comes from having their dad around." Tom Clements lives in Leeds with his wife and two children and is about to end his paternity daughter Betty was born two weeks ago and he says the brief leave period is not enough time to bond with a newborn."On this occasion my wife had a C-section and she needs more support," he says."When I go back to work it means that she's going to be put under incredible amounts of pressure and that changed parental leave would make such a difference." Support network Self-employed wedding photographer Barnaby Aldrick, 45, who lives in Leeds with wife Lindsay and their two young children, says he had to plan booking work around having his children."Although being self-employed means I can be flexible and decide when to take time off, I feel like it means I have to plan this almost like a year and a half in advance because people book quite far ahead for their weddings," he says."You just have to use what you've earned and saved up and then try not to spend outside of your means."Barnaby is part of the Leeds Dads organisation which arranges events across the city for fathers to meet up, spend time with their children and build a support network. They have also been involved in campaigning for the government to review its parental leave Errol Murray, who set up the group 14 years ago, feels many companies mistakenly believe they would "lose out" should paternity leave be increased."They get all the money back from the government and the benefit for the companies is that they get loyalty from the individuals," he many small businesses are sceptical, as they would have to train more staff for short-term Murray says that targeted support for those businesses could ease the burden."I think what we need to have is a policy that works both for families and works for businesses as well," he says."At the end of the day you never do a more important job than being a mother or a father." Councillor Alan Lamb, on Leeds City Council, questions would will pay for better paternity leave and pay."I've got absolute sympathy with the fathers and families who want to spend quality time with their new children," he says."But there's a balance to strike with how much it costs and who is going to pay for it."With a big firm with a huge HR department, it's not too difficult to be able to do that - but when you get down to very small micro businesses or freelancers, it's much, much harder to be able to afford it and still cover the work that that person would do." Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds recently told BBC Breakfast the government was looking into paternity leave as it was "not particularly generous or supportive compared to other countries"."We also know that a lot of people just aren't taking it at all," he adds."One in three dads take no parental leave whatsoever - so this needs looking at it in a proper way."He said the review was being launched as it had been "a long time" since government had looked at the issue in the UK."Work has changed a lot, there are a lot more self-employed people and families have changed a lot," he said. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Top Startups Use Parental Leave To Win Talent And Scale Sustainably
Will Fan, CEO at NewCampus, a modern business school for emerging markets. At the intersection of education, community and new technology. When I recently became a father, my perspective on leadership and workplace culture shifted dramatically. Parenthood is transformative, and as entrepreneurs building businesses that scale, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to craft world-class parental leave policies that reflect our values and support our teams. In an era of remote work, where work-life balance and sustainability are crucial, growing companies must consider parental leave as more than an extra perk. Rather, it should be a fundamental pillar of their organizational culture and strategy. Learning From Industry Leaders Leading tech giants have long set the standard for robust parental leave policies. Companies like Google and Salesforce offer extensive parental leave programs, recognizing that supporting employees during one of life's most significant milestones is not only compassionate but smart business. Google provides generous leave periods, financial support and reintegration programs for new parents returning to work. Salesforce complements its leave policy with resources such as child care support and flexible scheduling, underscoring that effective parental leave goes beyond mere time off; it's about comprehensive support. However, world-class parental leave shouldn't be exclusive to large corporations. Growing startups and scale-ups have an incredible chance to differentiate themselves by proactively developing parental leave policies early in their growth journey. Even with limited resources, startups can build innovative and impactful programs tailored to their teams' unique needs. By doing so, growing companies not only attract top talent but also retain high-performing employees whose loyalty and dedication are strengthened through thoughtful support during parenthood. At our own company, we've created more parent-friendly employee strategies to adapt to the needs of our growing team. For example, we operate as a completely remote team, offering working parents the flexibility to manage their family responsibilities effectively. Additionally, we've implemented a four-day workweek, which has significantly reduced calls and inefficient meetings by as much as 45%. Although we're not yet large enough to offer stipends or extensive financial support, flexible working arrangements are a crucial and effective way for smaller businesses to provide meaningful support to parents. As more companies shift toward remote and hybrid work, parental leave policies should evolve accordingly. The remote-work revolution has already dramatically improved flexibility for working parents, but comprehensive parental leave further solidifies this support. Remote or hybrid teams benefit enormously from clear, supportive parental leave frameworks, ensuring that employees don't feel isolated or overwhelmed during critical life transitions. Creating Impactful Parental Leave Policies How can growth-stage companies start building impactful parental leave policies? Conduct surveys and hold discussions to understand their needs and preferences. Different employees have different requirements, some may prioritize longer leave periods, while others seek greater flexibility upon returning to work. Employee input is critical to designing effective, responsive policies. Just as we strive for sustainable business growth, we should aim for sustainability in employee well-being. Companies increasingly acknowledge that sustainable business practices extend beyond finances and environmental impact, they encompass employee health, satisfaction and family life. Providing adequate parental leave and support is a powerful demonstration of a company's commitment to holistic sustainability. Platforms for virtual collaboration, asynchronous communication and online training can significantly ease the transition back to work for new parents. Companies like Zapier, Buffer and Automattic, pioneers in fully remote operations, have successfully integrated technology to support parents returning to work seamlessly. Uncertainty about parental leave policies can cause unnecessary anxiety among employees. By transparently sharing guidelines, expectations and available resources, you create trust and clarity. This transparency empowers employees to plan effectively, fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity. Employee feedback should be actively encouraged and used to regularly improve and adapt parental leave programs. A policy effective today may need updates as your team grows and demographics shift. Continuous improvement signals to employees that their well-being remains a top priority. The Business Case For World-Class Parental Leave Ultimately, building world-class parental leave programs isn't just good for parents; it's also beneficial for businesses. Supporting employees through significant life transitions means they return to work more motivated, focused and loyal. They become ambassadors for your company's culture, attracting further talent and strengthening your employer brand. As leaders, especially those who are new parents ourselves, we must champion these policies. Parenthood offers profound insights into empathy, patience and the value of holistic well-being, enhancing our leadership capacities. Advocating for robust parental leave policies leads to the creation of workplaces that reflect our shared values, ensuring our companies grow sustainably and compassionately. After all, sustainable growth isn't just measured by profit; it's measured by how we invest in the lives of those who make our visions possible. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
