Paid Maternity Leave in U.S. - A Voluntary Benefit for Women
The European Union is debating passage of a bill that would create uniform paid maternity leave benefits across all countries in the union.  The bill provides for twenty weeks of maternity leave at full pay, plus two weeks of full pay for fathers.   Paid maternity leave in many European countries is set up as a specific policy: the programs directly address maternity issues in terms of pay replacement, length of maternity leave, and even throws in paid parental leave as well.
Contrast this initiative with how the U.S. handles paid maternity leave benefits: the issue is left up to each state. And only five states have chosen to put a program in place, and it's done as an afterthought.
State Paid Maternity Leave
The five states have mandated short term disability that provides for six to eight weeks of partial maternity leave pay. A woman gets six weeks for a vaginal delivery, and eight weeks for a c-section delivery. And each state has varying rules for how the programs replace income, and for how long. For example California and New Jersey automatically provide four weeks of partially paid leave prior to delivery.
The five states with coverage are California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. The programs are intended to help workers who become disabled temporarily due to an accident or illness.   Normal labor and delivery is a covered illness and creates maternity leave pay for women giving birth – resulting in an unintended state paid maternity leave policy.
But even in these states the coverage is lacking. For example, California limits the income replacement to 55%, while New York caps benefits at $170 per week. That is 17% income replacement for a woman earning $52,000 per year – not an outrageous salary.
Of course there are no mandates in forty five other states.
Maternity Leave Pay an Individual Choice?
Virtually every U.S. family can have a paid maternity leave or a higher level of income replacement during maternity leave and no legislation needs to be passed. Employers with three or more benefit eligible employees can make a voluntary short term disability option available to workers. Women could pay the premiums themselves and enjoy maternity leave pay, and security in case of complications.
But most employers don't make this option available. And there simply is no excuse. There is no direct cost to the employers as the employees pay the premiums themselves.   The only requirement is for employers to make employees aware of the options, provide education about the value – provided free of charge by the insurance carrier – and forward deducted premiums once a month to the insurer.
Can you believe that is all that stands between U.S. families and paid maternity leave? It sounds pretty hard to believe to me. There needs to be greater awareness. Awareness of the need to begin coverage before getting pregnant, and awareness of how easily employers can make maternity leave pay available.
Contrast this initiative with how the U.S. handles paid maternity leave benefits: the issue is left up to each state. And only five states have chosen to put a program in place, and it's done as an afterthought.
State Paid Maternity Leave
The five states have mandated short term disability that provides for six to eight weeks of partial maternity leave pay. A woman gets six weeks for a vaginal delivery, and eight weeks for a c-section delivery. And each state has varying rules for how the programs replace income, and for how long. For example California and New Jersey automatically provide four weeks of partially paid leave prior to delivery.
The five states with coverage are California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. The programs are intended to help workers who become disabled temporarily due to an accident or illness.   Normal labor and delivery is a covered illness and creates maternity leave pay for women giving birth – resulting in an unintended state paid maternity leave policy.
But even in these states the coverage is lacking. For example, California limits the income replacement to 55%, while New York caps benefits at $170 per week. That is 17% income replacement for a woman earning $52,000 per year – not an outrageous salary.
Of course there are no mandates in forty five other states.
Maternity Leave Pay an Individual Choice?
Virtually every U.S. family can have a paid maternity leave or a higher level of income replacement during maternity leave and no legislation needs to be passed. Employers with three or more benefit eligible employees can make a voluntary short term disability option available to workers. Women could pay the premiums themselves and enjoy maternity leave pay, and security in case of complications.
But most employers don't make this option available. And there simply is no excuse. There is no direct cost to the employers as the employees pay the premiums themselves.   The only requirement is for employers to make employees aware of the options, provide education about the value – provided free of charge by the insurance carrier – and forward deducted premiums once a month to the insurer.
Can you believe that is all that stands between U.S. families and paid maternity leave? It sounds pretty hard to believe to me. There needs to be greater awareness. Awareness of the need to begin coverage before getting pregnant, and awareness of how easily employers can make maternity leave pay available.