Bringing in parental leave, bad for women?
Australia’s bringing in paid parental leave(I think it should be called maternity leave as from what I have read, it’s only for women) where for 18 weeks a new mother gets paid up to $550 AU per week.
We already have a sytem in place which pays new mothers a $5000 maternity allowance from the government right after the baby is born and also there is also family allowance which is paid fortnightly.
I was thinking that if employers had to start paying out so much money, will it affect the way employers see women? Will they be given a fair go at job interviews considering it would be cheaper to hire a man?
I’m not saying new mothers don’t deserve payments, but I am worried about any possible discrimination.
It’s not only about the possibility of women finding it hard to get work but the fact that men who are home with a baby need financial support too.
So, if employers are forced to do this, then it should be across the board.
Personally, I think there should be Parental leave, because “maternal” leave reinforces the idea that only women are caregivers, and reduces a family’s options for stay-at-home dads. I can see your point about employers not wanting to hire women because of the possibility of losing them to pregnancy, but to a certain extent, this is already the case. More leave, for either / both parents, is probably better for the children and the family – and a huge relief to single parents who must go through hell juggling a new born and a full time job (!)
Women’s Breakfast Forum #3 (updated)
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