FMLA

I had made the statement that "even China has a better maternity leave system than we do" to a coworker. And did so with no actual factual basis.  Thus began a foray into the world of procrastination that we call Wikipedia to prove myself right.

There is an article that covers Parental Leave for almost all countries.  While it's a lot of information, it definitely is a pleasure to skim through.  Countries vary, but with a few exceptions, most offer at least 90 days (~12.9 weeks) at somewhere between 70%-100%.

As for China?  98 days (14 weeks) at 100%.

It's nice when I make bold unfounded statements only to find that they were actually completely founded.

But, back to China.  China's paid benefits beat out Korea (90 days, 100%), Hong Kong (10 weeks, 100%) and Japan (14 weeks, 60%).  China also outpaces the US at our astonishing....0 days.

Zero.

The United States is among the ranks of Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea who also have no mandated paid parental leave.  Unless you live in Jersey or California (Hawaii and New York also offer maternity leave, but nothing for the menfolk), the only thing our government promises is 12 weeks of unpaid leave without losing your job.   Even these states barely guarantee more than 50% of your income.

For a visual, you can check out this world map.*  Basically the United States, despite claiming to be one of the leading nations in the world, is behind everyone in parental leave.  Including almost all third world and developing nations.


In an ideal world, I would leave three weeks early.  To clean the house--because I haven't had the energy to do so in two months.**  To make sure everything's prepared--because I am more inclined to stumble around the house in a daze after work.

In other words, I'm exhausted.  I need to rest.

In order to leave early, HR wants a doctor's note.  My doctors, though, won't write a note for a "normal" side effect of pregnancy.

It doesn't matter if you are so tired that you cry over dry cleaning you've forgotten to pick up since August.  It doesn't matter that you also completely forgot you even used the cleaners in the first place.  (It's not like you fit into your favorite coat anymore, so why would you notice it's absence?)  It doesn't matter if you crumble into tears three nights a week because you just don't have the energy once you get home to handle decisions like...what to eat.

As my doctor explained: pregnancy often means going to work and then going home to sleep and doing nothing in between.  That's what she had to do, after all.

And apparently, that's okay.

Only in America.

Australia is usually my preferred other-county-to-live-in, but if there is an Otter 2.0, maybe this time I'll consider Saudi Arabia.  Honestly, America, Saudi Arabia doesn't even let women drive and yet they take better care of their working moms than we do.  What gives?


*This map shows eight countries, I am assuming that 1) Wikipedia doesn't have the information on the other four or 2) Wikipedia's information is not complete.  But it is possible that 3) the NYTimes is less accurate than the great wikipedia.  The world will never know.
**Thankfully, Man has taken to vacuuming and washing dishes and cooking and comforting an irrationally teary woman.