Blog #7 Priorities in the U.S.

Alycia Clark

March 6, 2011

11:32 pm

Many other industrialized countries have laws in place that protect workers with family responsibilities. Family rights include paid leave, whether maternal or paternal, breastfeeding accommodation. However, the sad realization is that we live in a country, where those rights which protect workers with family responsibilities, are either extremely weak, or non-existent. The result of these lax laws is not only does it hurt the workers, but also the industries, as they do not meet the same productivity gains and savings that is present in other countries with effective laws. ‘

By not guaranteeing certain benefits to workers with families, not only do the worker and company suffer a loss, but the families of the workers, especially the children are affected as well. Many of these workers will miss or delay medical appointments for their children, they will be unable to perform basic functions such as breastfeeding for new children, and many even go into debt.

Although there is the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that gives workers with new children or seriously ill family members, the right to take unpaid leave, they receive no pay, and this only covers half of the US workforce. I believe that America needs to take a look at many of the other industrialized countries around the world, and figure out what we’re doing wrong. Our economy doesn’t seem to be benefiting from not having paid leave (or universal health care for that matter), so how much would it hurt to try? In a country that has multiple free rights, shouldn’t the right to be free from discrimination against workers with families, and the right to take care of families should be valued? Priorities need to be reevaluated.

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/23/us-lack-paid-leave-harms-workers-children