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WORK & MONEY

pawlo: Nobody has left any comments on this one, yet, so I'll guess I give it a shot. I think the question whether to accept maternity leave or not is interesting. A modern company in a quickly moving market has no problem with employees leaving for maternity, vacation, or for good.
The modern company is organized in a dynamic information structure, with a flat decision-making procedure.
Therefore a single person never will be of such an importance that he or she is invaluable.

edwelch: Employees are a very valuable asset for any employer. Employers should and do offer maternity leave; however the employee also has a responsibility to be honest with the employer. If an employer is expected to hold the employees job open for 8-12 weeks, the that employee should be expected to return to their job. if you are not going to return to work, say so. That way an employer doesn't waste 8-12 weeks trying to "get by", only to have to interview for that person's position when they decide to "stay home with little Elmer".

earthcrone: Employers can actually save money without much of a decrease in productivity by doing what they are already doing: hiring temp help to fill in, saving all that money formerly spent on benefits and insurance. Let the new parent take the six weeks required to settle in with the new little one, get the old body back in shape, finish fighting with the health care provider about how much of the baby bill will actually be covered by insurance, lining up a nanny or other child care service, etc. Don't give me that old song and dance about the employer suffering! The only ones who will suffer are the coworkers who will have to take up a little slack not covered by the temp. If the employer is too cheap to even hire a temp, then you are working at the wrong place!

amie: Yes. Both parents should have access to a stable family leave policy, without question. Companies must realize that their workers need to lead reasonably healthy lives, and part of that health is a strong family. Workers should have general family leave plans; maybe an ailing parent needs assistance, or a spouse has a baby, or a child is sick. You can't work people into the ground all the time.

devesh: Maternity leave is most definitely a neccessity. In India, however, due to the influence of a larger family, and the fact that it is still a society where the male is expected to (by himself and society as a whole) be the primary bread-winner of the family. Very frequently the new mother lands up having to perform most of the chores due to the lack of a proper, established day care system. Also, in India, breast feeding is practiced till at least 6 months; the new mothers, when applying for maternity leave are viewed as "lost" to the company. Hence, many companies, in India, do not place women, especially in the 25 - 30 year range in positions of "responsibility". I think however, given these forces, a woman should not be denied a leave of between 8 - 12 weeks, with a maximum extension to 16 weeks.

KMorrison: When I worked for a company in Germany, a co-worker had a pre-school aged kid. She got the same pay as I did, but only worked mornings (afternoons were "family time), and had her child care fully paid for. I'm glad to know that Germany is so progressive, but I can't help feeling cheated, or taken advantage of, because I'm childless by choice.

Sandir: Some women choose to have children. It is being coming more prevelant that a "key player" is the one asking for the leave. This is due to the fact that there are more women rising to the top in their professions. I feel that a woman should be able to take 8 weeks off for maternity leave. However, I also feel it is important for the woman to be at home during the first year. Companies that depend on the women taking the leave should consider the child's well-being as well as their own. Companies should enable these women to work out of their homes. If the woman is valuable to the company, they will do whatever is necessary to cover the time she is out. This problem is going to become more bitter as more women rise to the top. I am a working woman with no children presently. This is my choice -- my career is more important than children at this time. I may have children someday and hope to be employed by a company that understands the importance of allowing someone to work at home while maintaining my career objectives.