Paid Leave for the US
Posted December 18th, 2009 by Valerie YoungFrom Your (Wo)manInWashington blog
MOTHERS changing the conversation @ www.MothersOughtToHaveEqualRights.org
I’ve written here before about Jody Heymann’s work in Raising the Global Floor: Dismantling the Myth that We Can’t Afford Good Working Conditions for Everyone. The only reason we don’t have paid leave in this country as a basic minimum standard is because we have not yet insisted upon it. Here is Jody making the case as it appeared in a blog she wrote for the Washington Post.
For author Jody Heymann’s radio interview about paid leave and good workplace policy, click here. Listen to it while you wrap presents or stamp holiday cards!
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2 Comments
Congratulations, Steve. What a happy story.
Paid leave programs, like paid sick days, and temporary disability insurance, are generally funded totally or substantially by the workers themselves from the money they earn. “Government assistance” is not part of the equation.
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December 19, 2009 at 12:09 pm by SteveI hope my situation will be an inspiration. I was divorced with 2 kids at the age of 31. 18 years ago. In order to make sure I spent as much time as possible with my kids I devoted my time to figuring out a way to be slef employed. Here’s my stats:
-Divorced at 31 with 2 kids (3 and 6)
-Have never had a salary
-w/in 19 months of divorce, buy another house
-started y own company 3 weeks after house purchase
-Daughter graduated from college 2 years ago
-Son attending college now
I look back and feel so blessed that the three of us made such a happy litle family. After 18 years of being a single Dad, and the kids on their way in the world, I can now devote more time to me.
I think the thing that helped me the most was as a male, I realized there is no help out there, so I had to be 100% responsible for making good things happen. The pride I have in raising my kids without government assistance, is awesome!
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