The most common reason why women abort is out of fear that a baby would “interrupt” their career or education. Also, being a full time working mom or student can cause a lot of toxic stress and the full time separation between babies/young children and their primary attachment figure can cause long term developmental harms. Finally, maternal deaths often happen days or weeks after childbirth, and lack of maternal leave is associated with higher maternal mortality rates. The following solutions will save people’s lives, supporting healthy families and lifestyles for everyone:
12 week Federal Paid Maternal Leave
We should pass a federal law which entitles working mothers to 12 weeks paid maternal leave following the birth of her newborn, as long as she is employed by a company with at least 50 employees in a 75 mile radius for employees who have been employed by that employer for at least one year and have worked at least 1,250 hours for that employer in the last 12 months preceding the maternity leave.
Unpaid 8 hours weekly leave for eligible, caregiving, full time workers
It would also be helpful if certain workers, who have worked full time for at least one year in their current position for an employer that has at least 50 employees within a 75 mile radius, can be entitled to voluntarily have their work hours reduced to 32 hours per week, upon the employee’s personal request/30 days written notice. In exchange, the government can fund the employer’s portion of the group health insurance.
The employer should not be able to require that the employee use up their sick or vacation pay accruals towards the 8 hour decrease. The employee would not be able to collect overtime pay simply for working beyond the 32 hours.
This right to a reduced, 32 hour workweek should be offered to custodial parents of a child under six, a child with Autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome or other disability requiring a school IEP, or children who were blocked from their local day-care because of their special needs or behavioral or learning disorder. (Custodial fathers can use this option following the birth of their child, too.)
NEW EDIT ADDED 10/14/24: This option for an unpaid/intermittent 8 weekly hours off work, should also be offered to workers whose immediate household member is disabled, and workers who are in charge of caregiving for a disabled relative.
College flexibility for mothers & working students
New mothers who are also college students who have successfully completed at least 24 semester course units should also be eligible for 12 Federal Paid Maternal Leave, to earn 75% of their state or locality’s full time minimum wages and have the right to resume courses at the end of the 12 weeks.
Students who work at least 32 hours per week, and students who are custodial parents of a child under six, should be entitled to take their classes online or have them available in the evenings, as long as the course can be taught that way.
EDIT: As of today, 10/13/24, this proposal has earned 8 votes and I would like to add additional ideas. While I do not support my taxes being used to pay for twice the amount of leaves/paying for two parents’ dual/concurrent leaves, I strongly support the following supplementary ideas:
As long as the father’s employment status & employer meet the criteria for FMLA outlined in the first paragraph above:
-The custodial father shall be entitled to two weeks paid family leave following the birth of his child, in order to assist with bonding and support the needs and transition to routine of his newborn and the newborn’s mother.
-The custodial father shall have to up to 12 weeks paid family leave, following his child’s birth, ONLY IN THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, and ONLY when these conditions still apply, again for a MAXIMUM of 12 weeks following the child’s birth:
- The mother is deceased or incapacitated.
- The mother presents a post-partum diagnosis that she is suffering from a mental illness that is so severe, that it would present a risk of self-harm or harm or neglect to her child.
- The mother has lost custody of her child to the father due to her neglect, abuse, suicidality or criminality.
- Mother remains hospitalized beyond the two weeks family leave, and the parents have an additional child at home under age six requiring the father’s care.
- In the event of a twins or multiples’ birth.
*Remember that my intermittent leave idea, listed previously, would also allow a custodial father (who meets the employment criteria) to take 8 hours weekly unpaid intermittent time off, which he (as well as the mother) could utilize following the expiration of their leave.
To view my main policy proposal, related to abortion, go here: RIGHT TO MATERNAL/FETAL HEALTHCARE & EDUCATION to stabilize the abortion issue
Thank you.