Maternity leave - Page 2

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I don't think the graph is accurate. It shows Canada as having less than 20 weeks we actually have a year. I wonder if it's accurate for the other countries too.

[Janice in Canada]

Just to be clear about how it works in Canada -
there are two seperate aspects involved:

1. ) Job protection - ie Maternity Leave

Each province's Labour Code provides moms with a maternity leave. That is, they have the right to take time off of work, and their job must be saved for them, and they can return to the same job or else their employer must provide them with a similar job. I beleive this is one year in all provinces. So it doesn't matter what job you have, or how long you have worked there - you qualify for this protection if you had a baby. This part does NOT pay you any money - this just saves your job for you. How you are going to support yourself is seperate matter. (of course, this job protection means nothing to someone self employer).

2.) Financial Support - ie Maternity Benefits.

Federally, through our employment insurance system, some mothers are eligible for maternity benefits (ie money) to support them while they are not working. All employees and employers pay into the employment insurance fund. A mom (or dad) who has had a baby (or adopts) applies for benefits from this fund (just like if they became unemployed) but they obviously don't have to look for work during this period.

The federal gov't will pay 55% of their normal wage. But to qualify, they do have to have worked a certain number of hours in the previous X number of weeks before having the baby, to get the full 55% (they may get less or nothing, if they didn't work enough beforehand). So an unemployed mom (or SAHM) gets nothing. Also a self-employed gets nothing, orcontract worker may get nothing, since they may not have been paying into the fund beforehand. It doesn't matter that I worked for 10 years and paid into the fund, but am now a SAHM - if I didn't work in the past 12 months after I had baby #1, I don't get benefits after having baby #2.

Some employers will "top-up" the 55%, to 80 or 90%, as a benefit - I would think these are just "top" employers. Some moms cannot afford to stay home, even at 55% if they have big mortgages etc, and will go back to work early.

Our maternity benefit period is currently one year, it used to be 6 months. Also, moms continue to earn holiday pay, so that can add on another 3 weeks.


It seems to me, in the US, there is very limited maternity leave protection (6-8 weeks) and NO maternity benefits paid, by the gov't or by employers.


Our systems is better, but not perfect either. That McDonald's worker that we are talking about, will not get much or any monetary benefit if they had only worked for a short time prior to giving birth, or worked part time with limited hours.


Janice

[Janice in Canada]

Originally Posted by Rhiannon Feimorgan

I don't think the graph is accurate. It shows Canada as having less than 20 weeks we actually have a year. I wonder if it's accurate for the other countries too.

I don't have this all memorized, but I think that shows up on the chart that way, because we have 2 different words (categories).

Maternity leave (and maternity benefits) are only available to the mom - is this the time she needs to recover from childbirth. It is ONLY available to the mom. After that period, she qualifies for PARENTAL benefits - to fill up the rest of the year. But actually either the mother OR the father can take the Parental Leave (and qualify for parental benefits) - they decide what is best for thier family. So SOMEONE is home with baby for one year, but it doesn't have to be mom - although in many families it is the mom.

Dads also are entitled to one week Paternity leave - but no federal benefits, I think.

I may not have this all straight, but it is something like that.

Janice

[SophieAnn]

Originally Posted by Rhiannon Feimorgan

I don't think the graph is accurate. It shows Canada as having less than 20 weeks we actually have a year. I wonder if it's accurate for the other countries too.

If you read the graph carefully, it says Share of Leave Paid (FTE*).

FTE* = Full-time equivalent leave in weeks, as if the claimant were to receive 100% of average earnings.

In Canada you receive 55% of your gross earnings (to a maximum of 55% of $40,000 per year - WAY too low!), before income taxes. The graph seems fine.

Sure, it's not perfect (I think the max benefit is set way too low), but it is intended to partially replace the income from the job you are leaving... so it makes sense that a SAHM wouldn't get it, and it makes sense that you have to be at your job for a minimum amount of time to qualify.

[honeybunch2k8]

Originally Posted by shanti1

"I wouldn't mind automatic pay raises for men when mom has a baby (to make it easier for her to stay at home if she wants and to pay for the super expensive family insurance). "

I'm all for figuring out a way to extend maternity leave coverage........but THIS is not an acceptable solution, IMO. Working women, and some of us work because we want to, have a hard enough time w/competitive wages with our male counterparts. This would give a legal reason to pay men more........unacceptable. While it would benefit the family at home it would punish every working woman who did not want to stay home.

Ok, I was just brainstorming.

[honeybunch2k8]

Originally Posted by SophieAnn

It's all the government. McDonald's doesn't pay anyone's maternity leave - maternity leave is paid for by the government, although some employers will "top-up" your pay in some way (because we only get 55% of our previous gross pay, to a certain maximum, pre-tax).

All employees have the right to their mat leave without penalty, so you have the right to return to the same job when your mat leave is done. Mat leave income comes from the government, with a possible top-up from your employer (if they're a super employer).

It's actually called parental leave and adoptive parents get it too - and in any case (birth or adoption) it can be shared by either parent, so for example, I could take 9 months off and my husband could take the last 3 - or we could take some parental leave at the same time and overlap it.

How do you solve this problem? Demand change from your government!

I'm gonna look in my job manual, to see what kind of benefits I may have except 6-8 weeks off. I doubt I'll have pay, even though I work for a filthy rich 4 diamond casino.

I've written to the gov't several times about other issues, and I've started to feel a bit tired of it and exasperated. In the end, I never felt like I accomplished anything.

[AlexisT]

Originally Posted by Belle

The UK has other issues in breastfeeding. I understand the support system really sucks there. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yep. That's my point, though; maternity leave is only part of the problem. If you don't solve the other issues, it doesn't matter, because women have already stopped breastfeeding early on.

The support here is poor and there's a real problem with midwives and health visitors who haven't had their training updated in decades.