The Paid Leave Fairy Tale

Why mandated paid family leave is bad for business and bad for most women.
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Most 2020 presidential candidates support government mandated paid family leave. That means government will order businesses to provide a certain amount of paid time off for new parents.
That sounds kind. Politicians and the media point out that only the U.S. and Papua New Guinea do not require paid time off for parents.
"It's disingenuous to say [that]" explains Patrice Lee Onwuka, a senior policy analyst at Independent Women's Forum.
Onwuka tells John Stossel that most full-time American workers already get paid leave. "About 17% of workers have paid parental leave … but you jump to 60, 70, 80 percent when you consider people have sick time off, overtime or all-encompassing personal time."
These benefits are voluntarily provided to even lower-level employees.
"Chipotle workers, CVS workers, Walmart workers…," says Onwuka.
"Why would CVS and Walmart provide this voluntarily?" asks Stossel.
"For an employer to attract … good talent or retain their talent, they need to offer benefits that really resonate with workers," explains Onwuka. "Paid maternity and paternity leave is one of those benefits."
"Politicians are so arrogant," says Stossel, "that they now tell people that mandating leave for all employees will be 'good for business.' Somehow they don't know that business knows better what's good for business."
In truth, says Stossel, mandated leave turns out to be "bad for business and not even good for most women."
Onwuka points out, "If we look at how the rest of the world has provided very generous, mandated paid leave plans, we see that it actually has a negative impact on women."
Why would that be? Because mandatory leave makes companies fear hiring young women. "If an employer has a young woman in front of him of child bearing age," say Onwuka, "he's thinking, okay, I have to provide paid time off. I have a potential other employee who's a male…"
A family leave mandate makes the man a safer bet.
"In California, the first state to mandate paid family leave, a study found women of childbearing age were more likely to be unemployed," explains Stossel.
Comparing Europe to America, Onwuka explains, "American women are twice as likely to be in senior level positions, managerial positions, then women in Europe … it's very much tied to these mandates around paid leave and paid time off."

[@medic8377]

Govt motto: "If it ain't broke, we'll fix it till it is!!"

[@Rob.N.]

That made me laugh

[@akidmyself4053]

@@Rob.N. Made me laugh too.

[@ledzeppelin1212]

😂

[@lvteachme973]

Lol....yep! Ridiculous.

[@thomashumphries7859]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👏👏

[@shakesitoff1122]

If the government wants to help the people, stay out of our lives!!!

[@joeymerrell8585]

This!

[@metaphor239]

Who is this directed to?

[@KennethSee]

Amen!

[@howardthurman3617]

Amen!

[@jakotheclown4471]

Except it's not about helping the people its about control

[@dirtcop11]

Reagan said it best, the scariest words ever uttered, "I'm from the government and I am here to help."

[@MrVedude]

And then he went on to increase taxes and increase spending. He was a fraud

[@anlasma7942]

@@MrVedude He was a very quotable president, not a good one

[@theyellowcardinal5526]

@Mrvedude He also heightened the war on drugs so he literally went against his own words. I love this quote but damn is he a hypocrite

[@danc101]

Often this quote is true but not all the time. Its stupid to think that no government would genuinely try to help people

[@ammarhasan8466]

Wasn't he from the government too?

[@loszhor]

I love how he calls her out at the end. This is why I love John Stossel.

[@ledzeppelin1212]

He calls her out, but with a legitimate reason and is very respectful, so as not to cause a major argument. I LOVE John Stossel.

[@Ferno556]

@@SimSim-zf9if What?

[@mankybrains]

Cause he knows she knows it's a big benefit for her. "Gimme my money now, I want it back."

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

I would sometimes watch the news with my parents in the evening (most likely just mom, as dad's been driving a truck for about three decades now) anyhow I remember watching him as a news anchor, and something about his style caught my attention even as a little kid. So, when I found him on YT, I was actually pretty happy about it.

[@jamesbizs]

@@jed-henrywitkowski6470 it’s so weird how many people talk about how they liked him as a kid. Who are these kids lol. I don’t remember watching the news.

[@sd906238]

"Both parties are pushing government solutions" meaning both parties are trying to buy your vote at my expense.

[@lvteachme973]

That is exactly what came to mind when I heard that!

[@dannybee6473]

Not my kid, not my problem.

[@HadToChangeMyName_YoutubeSucks]

It's why I can't stomach republicans any better than I can stomach democrats. Neither would actually give a thimble of warm spit for the constitution, at best it makes a good prep rally cry. No one questions the constitutionality of government mandating such things, they just insist the other sides plan is terrible and their plan is great, they're both just the equal opposite of the other side. I fully believe that if the left became pro-gun over breakfast the right would be calling for gun confiscation by dinner.

[@yekkub9425]

@@dannybee6473 Alright sociopath.

[@dicktillotson1431]

And neither party cares what the "price per vote is"!!

[@my2commonsense476]

Businesses have employees because they have jobs that need to be done. Want to have kids, great, but don't expect someone else to pay for it. EVERYTHING the government touches it makes worse. WAKE UP!!!

[@Approx_99]

Bullshit. No passable legislation would/could require a business owner to directly pay for the children of their employees.

[@iironhide6209]

@@Approx_99 how would the legislation work then

[@jamie49868]

@@Approx_99 There are already laws that require an employee with a certain amount of employees to provide health insurance. The difference in health care for a single person and a family is tens of thousands of dollars to the employer. That is directly paying for your children. So yeah, it isn't a stretch to imagine a day when the govt mandates that employees pay directly for employees children either by an escalating scale or some other means directly related to the amount of children you have. That is already in place via the tax code where a person with 3 kids pays thousands of dollars less in taxes than a single person with none. What makes you think that couldn't happen?

[@Approx_99]

@@iironhide6209, like mandating employers pay overtime. No organization is needed to supervise employers because if the law isn't followed, the employee can sue for damages. Court costs are very expensive, so it's in everyone's best interest to self-regulate.

[@Approx_99]

@@jamie49868, I don't quite understand your point. Yes, in the United States, employer-provided health insurance already includes individual and family plans, and yes, the family plans are more expensive for both employer and employee (very few employers pay 100% of costs). However, employers are already pay for the children of their employees; no bread winning parent is going to work for less than it takes to provide for their family. What specifically are you afraid of the fed doing?

[@nemo227]

"Politicians are so arrogant." Stossel said but I think he understated it. I was an employer for 21+ years and now that I've been retired for 19+ years and reflect back I realize there is just one job description, just one reason to hire anyone: What can an employee do to help me earn a living, make a profit, keep the business functioning? If an employee can't do that, the job will no longer exist.

[@kevindouglas8768]

"I need votes and I'll SAY anything to get 'em".

[@kaioken654]

So the moral of the story is let the company and employee work it out and keep government the hell out of it.

[@kaioken654]

@MR. Right I don't know about that when it comes to free speech. I'm pretty sure someone just got fined a ridiculous amount of money for for passing out flyers saying women arnt men or something along them lines

[@Tetrumo]

Correct

[@gunarsmiezis9321]

Just get women to not work.

[@r.d.9399]

Seriously. If my company doesn't work with me I'll find another job.

[@DD-fs7pg]

So how exactly does the company "work it out".

[@chriscunningham6401]

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." ~ Ronald Reagan.

[@paulnadratowski3942]

Chris Cunningham no, the most terrifying words... Republican President

[@Sy0exec]

@@paulnadratowski3942 This country has prospered the most under Republicans.

[@paulnadratowski3942]

BitBear not true. Clinton cleaned up Bush’s mess and Obama cleaned up W’s mess. FDR cleaned up the Depression

[@samuelhaines3685]

Clinton did poorly, Obama had the worst recovery, and only WW2 pulled us out of the depression that worsened under FDR

[@paulnadratowski3942]

Samuel Haines all incorrect. FDR lessoned the new deal in 1937 thinking the depression was over, it led to the Roosevelt recession, once he restarted the Nee Deal, the depression lessoned, so the New Deal di work. Clinton presided over a great economy in the 90’s. Obama pulled us out of a huge recession. Don’t believe the crap you hear on Prager University

[@dimitriosfreedom9282]

“Tap into” social security. It’s more like Raid social security today and let future generations deal with the aftermath of an empty well of retirement funds.

[@stephenpourciau8155]

@Blind Squid bloodsuckers? You're talking about the government i hope, because that's 6000 dollars a year per citizen in the united states that we never see a dime of. Social security is currently the biggest racket in history, they rob us of money and we see nothing from it. Aside from that, anyone on social security deserves it, you fucking idiot. When social security promised to fix the idea of pensions, did it? Bloodsuckers, the nerve of you dude. jesus.

[@christianlibertarian5488]

I'm sorry, but there is no well of retirement funds. There is simply a column in government account ledgers saying the left pocket owes the right pocket. There is nothing to "tap into" except current revenues.

[@pauldraper1736]

It's just their money that government is holding onto. They paid it. Ideally, they'd get that money regardless of having kids.

[@christianlibertarian5488]

@@pauldraper1736 The government is not holding on to money. It spends it as soon as it gets it. There is merely a column saying the govt. owes money.

[@pauldraper1736]

@@christianlibertarian5488 Right. The government has a liability which it has to settle up now or later. The balance sheet of assets - liabilities remains unchanged. In other words, this giving people more choice about over how their dollars spent, which *is a good thing.* (Ideally, you have COMPLETE freedom to spend them however you'd like and get rid of Social Security but two choice instead of one is at least in the right direction.) There is a valid issue of liquidity, but holding onto liabilities for 40 years doesn't fundamentally make them go away. The government is just as poor with a liability of $10 (liability for future payment) as a liability of $10 (loan to cover payment now). Put another way....how would stop the Social Security program?

[@selfdo]

Helping #2 son move from Iowa to Nevada, while gassing up in Nebraska, saw a funny novelty "road sign"...it was titled "Terms of Employment"..under "personal days", the reply was, "Yes1 You get 104 of them A YEAR...they're called SATURDAY and SUNDAY!". I like what old-timers in the Navy once said about marriage and family..."If the Navy wanted you to have a wife, you'd have been issued one at Great Lakes".

[@doom3404]

I have never seen that many people working checkout at Wal Mart.... those must be paid actors.

[@elliotlanglois880]

Same ones they used at Sandyhook.

[@elliotlanglois880]

@DF AMO just a dumb joke about conspiracy theory people and crises actors.

[@thinhtranba5352]

Or at a diff Wal-mart, mine somehow plenty.

[@rm9308]

Same at all the ones I've been to. Self checkout is always packed, then they have a handful of packed lanes out of ~20 closed lanes. Soon there won't be humans involved, just cameras. You'll just walk in, get your face scanned, take what you want, and the machines will bill you after you walk out the door.

[@Captainbadger123]

DOOM the funny part is that even if they were paid actors that’d still mean they have a job

[@samwroblewski748]

I'd rather have the ability to withdraw all my social security and opt out of paying it altogether.

[@tesla82111]

Absolutely, best comment ever

[@bluorion4360]

There is no Social Security anymore. It is bankrupt and broken along with Pension system and other Welfare systems. There is no money for retirement. All the money was used to buy votes and now comes the time of suffering.

[@Christof708]

Agreed!

[@pandorin2348]

Blu Orion thats the exact same shit ive been told 45 years old and i doubt ill ever be able to access any of that once i retire

[@tompain2751]

@@bluorion4360 The left appears to be successful at tearing down everything!They'll be shocked,when it isn't going to be the utopia they think!

[@OmegaTou]

"Were already 22 Trillion dollars in debt..." It's scary when you can age a video based on how many Trillions were in the national debt. It's $28 Trillion now, and will be substantially higher when people read this in the future.

[@ejackson6073]

Thought the same thing 💔

[@joecooper8527]

Money printer go BRRRRRRRRRRR

[@johnsharpe6411]

At this point it may as well be 200 trillion. We have passed the point of no return. China's pushing the yen to become the global currency, when that happens we're Venezuela.

[@phillmccracken4219]

What a difference 2 months makes. Now we are 30 trillion in debt!!!

[@yt_nh9347]

@@johnsharpe6411 okay I'm not sure where to start with you...1. Yen is the Japanese currency so i doubt China would push for it to go up 2. Debt is always taken into consideration in the context of the GDP increase it produces (i.e. is the debt used effectively to generate economic growth), spending on infrastructure projects provides jobs for low skilled workers and may be a net positive in the long run

[@bleachchugtidy2178]

Finding a job while pregnant is so hard because even though I'm an extremely hard worker, no employer wants to give me leave and they think that I won't work as hard. If the government wants to make changes they need to help the employers and provide incentive.

[@bryanutility9609]

Colorado state is giving parents paid leave at taxpayer expense instead of companies. Is one way. Even so when a woman is going to take off for childbirth the company still has to find someone to continue the work. So boring a pregnant woman is a bad deal given the cost of hiring.

[@OnePermutation]

So this "12 dollars a week"...is that a tax? What if I never have kids? Am I going to be forced to pay into this program even if I never use it? Screw that.

[@DelbertStinkfester]

Just get a puppy and call it your kid...That should work

[@OnePermutation]

@@DelbertStinkfester Ya, that's what I was thinking too, lol. I'll just identify as having a newborn baby...the government can't argue with what I identify as.😂🤣

[@MrJoshcc600]

I'm with you but we're already taxed for schools and such I our areas. At 35 i also plan on never having children but on my property tax every year that's a very specific charge for schools

[@mlow42]

Or buy an old SSN, and use that for maternity leave and tax benefits.

[@xanthicperspective4881]

Our birthrate is falling, population decreasing. America is having to get immigrants to keep our population steady. One reason people are having less kids is that the potential mothers don't want to give up pay (or possibly their job) to have a kid. A rapidly declining population is bad for our country. Even if you don't have kids, you still benefit from it just as you benefit from public schooling if you were home schooled. So it's a matter of how much it should cost society and who should be the ones to decide. Whether it's through taxes or higher businesses operating costs, the weight of it will still bear on everyone. Personally, I believe the government should provide a 6 week minimum paid leave, with a capped price, and allow the free market to naturally provide the rest of the paid leave a mother would need to bond with her baby.

[@pigyear88]

Give me my social security contributions back now and I would be fine.

[@DurzoBlunts]

Yah single payout of 100% of what you put in.

[@gmarefan]

@@DurzoBlunts every paycheck

[@fhuber7507]

I would be happy to get my "contributions" back, with appropriate interest... At standard mortgage rate of each year over all of the years between when the money was paid in and now. That goes back 45 years. With an appx average doubling of each dollar collected every 6 years since it was collected. (this is the power of simply compounding interest every year, not even every month, or continuously as is now the norm) At just minimum wage level contributions over that time, the amount the government would owe would be a few $million. This is the savings opportunity the government is stealing from every person, every year and has been stealing for over 70 years.

[@DadBodDrumming]

@@DurzoBlunts plus interest! I could have saved that money on my own and earned a pretty penny by now.

[@endless3cho]

@@fhuber7507 insanity.

[@melvinhume9865]

Well if you took 12 weeks off and my company ran just fine without you I would figure I don't need you

[@ledzeppelin1212]

Haha, nice

[@vinyllpreviews9462]

While paying you, uh, we kind of don't need you.

[@sylviur]

In my country, it is mandatory for the employer to re-hire you if you come back to work within 2 years(if your position still exists). And you have 2 years of paid leave if you worked for at least 1 year in the last 2 years before the child is born. And fathers can take maternity leave too. You can go back to work after 42 days(this is mandatory for the mother but I am not sure exactly about the number of days) and you will receive about half the minimum salary(~150$/month) until the child is 3 years old.

[@loganthesaint]

@@sylviur sounds terrible honestly as an American father. I couldn’t imagine just taking money for nothing.

[@BGatts666]

@@loganthesaint Just remember some people get payed millions doing less than you, if that helps...

[@coldwarrior23]

Mandated leave becomes a tax on all businesses.

[@stephenpourciau8155]

productivity has gone up 200% over the last 30 years. Yet we need to work the same hours? Makes no sense. Don't increase leave, REDUCE HOURS.

[@TheBusttheboss]

Stephen. I think that is a good idea. Let's just not have the government force us to do it. I believe I can do my job effectively with only 5 hours a day.

[@LibertyLocalizer]

Let's pay people for not working! Genius!

[@LibertyLocalizer]

Hans Slavery? You're comparing a job where you'll most likely get maternity leave, but it isn't guaranteed by law, to slavery?

[@LibertyLocalizer]

Just another Bird You see, that's your choice, and that's the whole fucking point. I would pay you parental leave, but making it law is ridiculous.

[@Smileypb666]

@Hans How are you enslaved by your wealthy employer in America? Last I checked it's the employee that voluntarily chose to go apply and accept terms and conditions of employment. No employee is bought from their family. If employees don't like their pay or their jobs, they can easily quit and find another job. Constantly telling people that they're somehow enslaved to their employers is just plain retardation.

[@mayankgoyal5264]

@Hans Lol, did you see the video? American women are twice as more likely to be in higher positions compared to European women. Mandatory programs like that have a negative impact. You can't just mention 24 weeks and conclude that those programs are good.

[@nietzschesmoustache3585]

Let's pay people to have babies. _YES!_

[@ungerjs90]

"I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

[@sealisa1398]

Shane Keller Run when you hear that.

[@MegaTitanGamer]

"You are being rescued. Please do not resist."

[@PanamanianMan317]

That's a true horror movie/story quote.

[@MindlessTube]

*whispers under his breath... my self...

[@guitarsANDcars39]

Sure... "Independent Women" who need benefits from the government. The hypocrisy is mind numbing.

[@YoloSWAGJude]

Independent in the "independent woman" sense doesn't mean fully independent. We both know that. It means not dependent on a man as a provider. You now say a man as provider? Sounds sexist or something like that but....you know.... we both know what I mean. But if cause it is somewhat a valid point that government regulations seems not helping being independent. At least at first glance. But sometimes you need help from the government to be more independent than before. If you don't have to worry about surviving you can more easily create a thriving business. And that seems like what we want. Less surviving, more living and doing what is good for society and maybe even economy

[@SM-pv4sn]

@@YoloSWAGJude "But sometimes you need help from the government to be more independent than before." Independent... you keep using that word, but I'm not sure you know what it means :)

[@jackjohnson6230]

@@YoloSWAGJude what a hypocrite Woman dont need to be dependant on a man when they can be dependant on the goverment instead What a joke

[@nathalie_desrosiers]

It's not free money. It's paid with our taxes.

[@wildbikerbill6530]

@@nathalie_desrosiers They don't care - it's not their money, it's someone else's. It's exactly like a politician selling a new program saying "Only The Rich Will Pay!", and the crowd roars its approval. Trivia fact: This was exactly how the Income Tax was sold to the public in the early twentieth century. And that marketing ploy still has legs a century+ later.

[@speedbag09]

John Stossel is masterful at pulling back the layers of the onion.

[@jonathanhoward9533]

Paying two people to do the same job because one sits at home "parenting" while someone else fills in is expensive. We didn't have these problems when women didn't work.

[@Schoolship.]

parenting shouldn't really be in parenthesis.. it's a real thing.

[@EEVictory13]

That’s some grade A misogyny there! 👍

[@EEVictory13]

Employers like to keep good workers who have been trained and in female dominated jobs/careers, it’s an investment into their workers.

[@crusader0074]

Why not 52 weeks? Sounds good to me. ...and that's for ALL Americans, not just parents.

[@jamesshaw3500]

Great joke!

[@addlemm44]

Hear Hear! you've got my vote!

[@jcman240]

For real, breeders get time off in my office, what about us who choose not to have children?

[@lvteachme973]

Exactly! I'm sick of only certain groups getting all the breaks.

[@phil6748]

Daniel De Vall for someone who’s body just produced another human being? Sounds good to me.

[@itsrockitt]

Politicians needs to stay out of business. Unless they actually have an idea of how business works.

[@mikieemiike3979]

When we do get a business man in office they cheat him out

[@zachb1706]

To be fair, it’s probably one reason why the “wage gap” is wide. Woman take paid leave more than men - they are a obstacle

[@zhanucong4614]

And women prefer different jobs that is also one of the factors

[@zachb1706]

@@zhanucong4614 that as well. In fact when you compare job for job the 17% gap that leftists claim falls to 5%.

[@zhanucong4614]

@@zachb1706 and most women are less aggressive so their negotiation isn't good like mens

[@tixximmi1]

I'm still waiting for my free Obama phone.

[@tompain2751]

You can get it at the food bank,if you are on SSI,or SSDI!...Seriously.

[@MiraSubieGirl]

@ffsgdfSgDsv iyknavDdvsa You dont want those STDs...

[@noahellis3672]

You don't want that"free" Obama phone. They're mostly crap.

[@jamesshaw3500]

I had an Obama phone, it got me threw high-school; but I was mocked for it!

[@MiraSubieGirl]

@@jamesshaw3500 Through* Those American Highschools suck -_-

[@SgtJoeSmith]

They just pay a lower wage up front to offset the cost of paid leave

[@f308gtb1977]

Joe Smith, no no, we’re supposed to raise pay AND provide paid leave because “magic.”

[@f308gtb1977]

madwtube, yeah, if someone can allegedly “afford” something, it’s totally moral to force them to pay for it at gunpoint, right? Envy much? By the way, a “capitalist” is just someone who at root just believes in both sides consenting to any transaction. Sounds really evil!

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@@f308gtb1977 I get what you're saying. Ultimately the consumer who also happens to be the employee is the 1 who foots the bill and pays higher prices for food and medicine. What I was saying McDonald's franchise A offers $12 an hour with 2 weeks paid vacation. McDonald's franchise B across town offers $13 an HR with no paid leave. Which do you pick? If company A didn't offer paid leave then they would increase pay to $13 an hour too.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@madwtube actually their money or worth is on paper in stock market. It's the value of the stock they own if they were to sell. But they have to sell to have the money. If they sell all the stock and spend the money they won't have any left then. People where I work quit cause too much work for the pay. Well that's why businesses close. Too much work for no more than owner makes. And it's always someone that never owned a business that's running their mouth about what companies should pay. How bout this. Business owners for a union and fix prices so they can make a higher wage. Oh wait that's anti trust. Or as you call it.....unionizing. Ok for 1 party to form a union for higher pay but not ok for others to form a union for higher pay? Welcome to murikkka

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@madwtube you should pay more too. If they have to sell stock to pay higher prices you don't need food stamps. You can just sell your tv and kids toys and furniture to pay higher food prices. It's only fair. You liberals want equality. Well there it is. Sell your house and car if you are hungry and can't afford higher food prices if you want others that work harder than you to sell their belongings.

[@kentfrederick8929]

Here's one thing government should mandate. If an employer offers paid leave for women who give birth, then it should also offer paid leave for women who adopt a newborn. My wife's employer had a very generous maternity leave policy for women who gave birth. But there were no benefits for adopting a child. My wife had to take vacation and then use unpaid family leave. Her boss could not understand why my wife wanted leave. He thought maternity leave was strictly for recovering from labor and childbirth, especially for women who had C-sections. A friend of ours worked for what used to be a Big 8 accounting firm. Not only do women who adopt get paid maternity leave, but women and men who adopt get a bonus of several thousand dollars to help defray the costs of adoption.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

How's a small business going to pay an employee to not be there for three months? Every government regulation benefits big business at the expense of small business.

[@leechowning2712]

I work for a company with three employees. No there is no paid leave for anyone under any circumstances. A quarter of the year there's unpaid leave for at least one of us. These sort of laws are intended to protect the largest companies at the expense of everybody else.

[@stopandthinkaboutit8636]

If everything becomes mandatory, nothing becomes a benefit.

[@dsolomon]

I’d be content with my employer treating fathers the same as mothers. Moms can use their sick leave for maternity leave, but dads cannot. I don’t need a government program, just fair HR policies.

[@steakwilliams4448]

@EJ K FMLA allows the father to take unpaid paternity leave, correct? I'm not sure it protects you using whatever PTO you might have accrued so you can still make money while on FMLA. Maybe you or someone else can clarify

[@dugroz]

FMLA is a law that merely prevents your employer from terminating you. They must hold your job for 12 weeks. The law does nothing regarding pay. That's up to each employer. So yes, an employer certainly could offer paid pregnancy leave / mother's leave but force men to use up all their PTO, vacation, sick, etc. (Not saying they should, just saying that the OP's point is plausible.) Until recently, my employer offered short-term disability for new moms but dads got nothing.

[@jamie49868]

@EJ K FMLA is for unpaid leave. Most corporations have policies in place that allow a mother paid time off, but very few extend those same policies to the men.

[@malcorub]

@@dugroz ​ @jamie t In California, men and woman get 12 weeks protected FMLA with 6 of those weeks paid at 60% of your gross pay by the State of CA out of STD funds and not your by employer. Men and woman are free to supplement that 60% with paid time off AKA vacation time. On top of this, Woman also get more weeks of disability leave.

[@jamie49868]

@@malcorub Wow! Just another reason why CA is in the dumper.

[@Dangremaus]

Our company provides 16 paid weeks off for paternity and maternity leave. Out of 100 people on our floor there are suddenly 8 people getting ready to go out on leave. We’re still not sure who’s going to handle all the work. I’m not adding to MY workload because others decided to have kids.

[@davidchase9424]

How that "Affordable Care Act" working out for you? Stay away from my hard worked wages!!!

[@williamfree9565]

So she's out 6 plus weeks wants even more and employer is left short handed. Has to hire a temp and train them or the rest of the work force makes up for her getting to take off and they get no compensation for it. Ya sounds wonderful. NOT

[@sundinfamforlife4129]

It's not the woman's fault. Her body is litrally healing. Don't tell woman to have kids if employers are gonna treat them like shit when they do have kids!

[@BunnySlippers82]

If you expect the gov't to fix your problems, they'll be more than happy to do it- at the cost of freedom and choice.

[@anoob6311]

@@SimSim-zf9if thats from ur company, not the government lmao. another sign of capitalism benefiting both the employer and employee.

[@zytrik1]

That sounds like a fallacy...

[@zytrik1]

@Aswath Vishali Because paying taxes is not losing freedom. However, if you’re a US citizen I’d encourage you to do a lil experiment and not pay taxes for a couple of years. Let’s see how much freedom you get afterwards...

[@zytrik1]

@Aswath Vishali So how are you free if your forced to pay? Are you still free even after you pay taxes? Anyway. The way vacations work in my country is that you get vacations only after a whole year of work and those paid days are already prorated in your salary, plus a part of that is being financed with the income taxes that you’re already paying. So in overall accounting, those paid days are not a complete extra burden for companies. Still, going back to your main point, it does not strip away freedom or liberty from anyone. Companies don’t have to hire you if they don’t want to. But if you feel that being forced to pay something (taxes, for example) is against your freedom, I would again highly encourage you to not pay for a few years and then let me know how that played out for your liberty.

[@zytrik1]

@Aswath Vishali you just said “why would I, as an employer pay my employee of just taking care of HIS child?”, and then you said you’re ok with parental paid leave. Can you make up your mind, please? And again, I explained how it works in my country. The parental leave and vacations are already pro-rated in the annual compensation and it includes some financing from the same income taxes the employer is already paying. It seems like “extra” payment but it is not, at least here where I’m from. Anyway, can you tell me how that takes away your freedom? Or can we just already conclude that your initial statement is a fallacy?

[@cknorris3644]

Just shows government has zero common sense. If I hire someone to make widgets and they stop making widgets but I still have to pay them...I am out their pay and I have no widgets to sell. So now I have to double my costs to get those same widgets made or just sell no widgets until the vacation is over. How does that equal a few dollars a year??

[@agrameroldoctane_66]

I have oppened a business in 2009. Hired three ladies in late twenties. Within 3 months all three went on parental leave and I have never seen them again. Why? In my country you can get up to 26 months leave paid by government. But I, as employes, have to pay first month and then 5 weeks vacation salary for each year of leave. I ended up paying 4 full salaries to persons who were not working for me at the time. As a result I will never employ female under 40 again, and a lot of small business are having same attitude.

[@herrschaftg35]

Which country?

[@agrameroldoctane_66]

@@herrschaftg35 Poland

[@howardthurman3617]

Ronald Reagan stated on this the best; "More government is not the answer . Government is part of the problem."

[@chrisjackson1215]

I don't like Reagan for a trillion different reasons. But he hit the nail on the head with this one.

[@strunchshag6129]

And Ronald Reagan also tripled our national debt

[@howardthurman3617]

@@strunchshag6129 So have other presidents in the past. They just keep raising the ceiling and print more money.

[@FRN2013]

@@strunchshag6129 Reagan inherited a horrible economy, sky-high tax rates, and a severely-weakened military. He had to work with a Democrat Congress for most of his two terms. To get lower tax rates, the Dems forced him to sign off on spending increases. Plus he had to spend to fix the military. Keep in mind that ALL media were leftist in those days. No Fox News or talk radio or internet. He certainly made some goofs, but he was one of our greatest presidents.

[@Sondan1988]

@@howardthurman3617 that SOUNDS great.....but then look at what he did to the national debt. If you say, 'SO'...then you are part of the problem. If I follow your logic then Hitler was great then...I mean he killed millions but so have other presidents and leaders in the past. Why quote a man who did the very opposite of what he was saying ?

[@skuzzkitty]

This seems like a capitalism issue. Employers decide if they want to offer extra leave, employees decide if they like a potential employer's policy and voila, everything works itself out, no government interference required.

[@100pyatt]

Totally agree just because the rest of the world does it doesn't mean that we should be doing it!!! The government is so far beyond its constitutional power it is DISGUSTING 🤮

[@nilssonerik76]

I’m a father of two from Sweden. We get 240 days paid parental leave per parent per child. 90 days are tied individually to the mother, 90 days individually to the father. The remaining 150 days per parent are transferable to the other parent. The company that employs you does not have to pay you anything when you are on parental leave (but many companies with employees earning more than the $5 000 per month cap on state parental pay choose to voluntarily supplement the difference between an employee’s normal salary and their parental pay). I’ve personally used my full 240 days of paid leave for each of my children, but nationally there is a discrepancy between average male and female usage of parental leave. Males on average use about a third of the 480 days per child of paid parental leave, females on average two thirds. The cost of our paid parental leave to the Swedish taxpayer is about 0,7% of our GDP. As a high income earner I have certainly payed more in taxes to finance the system of state distributed paid parental leave than it would have cost me to pay for my parental leave with my own money. I still like our system, though, since it re-normalizes spending time with your children when they are young - something humans have historically done way more than we do today.

[@ledzeppelin1212]

But imagine how much higher your GDP would be if people worked instead of taking unnecessarily long vacations.

[@nilssonerik76]

@@ledzeppelin1212 Not necessarily. Good tax-financed unemployment benefits are proven to increase willingness to quit your day-job and start a business for yourself - the fact that parental leave is not tied to any particular employer further bolsters people’s entrepreneurial drive. Our start-ups are doing great, especially since our corporate taxation rate is lower than, e g, the mean US corporate tax rate. Also, even though happiness, sense of purpose, individual freedom and perceived security have value beyond their effects on the economy, all four seem to also contribute to our working population’s ability to produce products and services that are highly lucrative - yielding profits that increase employment levels and both directly and indirectly pay for the worker benefits that contributed to their quality as well as to their initial conception. Working more hours doesn’t boost productivity by nearly as much as working harder while at work. Working more hours doesn’t boost productivity by nearly as much as working on fulfilling an entrepreneurial dream. Paid parental leave, at least in the Swedish context, probably increases our national income substantially - although given the somewhat strange way that BNP, specifically, is calculated I’m not sure about it’s effect on that metric.

[@chubbyninja842]

I wish you had gone to some actual employers and asked they how they fund their maternity leave programs. It's not like they have a magical tree that grows maternity leave dollars. They calculate the amount necessary to fund the program, and then they subtract that from their wages budget. The company pays you less now while you work so you can pay you during maternity leave later while you don't work. In the end, you still make the same amount of money (if you take the leave), it's just that the boss only gives you some of the money now and the rest later. For those who don't take maternity leave, they're still paying for it through reduced wages now that they'll never recoup later. It's all a shell game that some of us win and others lose. OR ... we could all be responsible adults and if we're planning to have kids, start a savings account where we put money aside to cover expenses for when the kids arrive.

[@dcpack]

When I was in the Coast Guard a female member who got pregnant ( and plenty did take advantage of that to get 'disability' which should not be service connected but they get benefits for it...) got paid leave and COULD take TWO YEARS off with a guaranteed job when they decided to return. No men EVER received that option.

[@kkcook3743]

Give it to the men also.

[@qwerty11111122]

Give it to the men too

[@cbrockbishop1566]

Pete Buttigeig .. (rolling eyes..)

[@bryanutility9609]

Women should not serve in the first place and men should get paid enough their wives can afford not to work. Everything is backwards.

[@mrjack8849]

what if my partner and I are both men and can't have children. We should get maternity leave too!!@@cbrockbishop1566 🤣

[@davitaveritas7414]

I wonder how many of the lawmakers proclaiming to know what is "good for business" have ever met a payroll in the private sector?

[@patrickcleland6065]

Disappointingly few....... The number is likely so low, lets just call it zero.

[@kingtut4734]

I'm republican but I support paid family leave and the cradle act. I think lack of parenting is what's leading to to so many problems in our society.

[@Peppermon22]

Says a man. As a mom who worked in fast food it was extremely hard trying to recover from a c section and pay bills. I was almost out of the street. My second job refused to pay me on maternity leave and refused to have me come back till the 3 months were up. They “lost” my doctors note to come back sooner. Then told me to find another job after my 3 months were up. Mothers need aid and protection. My current job has a temporary disability benefit I pay monthly for. This will become my maternity leave when I have baby 3. I am happy this option is available.

[@vegasgambler388]

Stossel is an American treasure

[@lonelywuffy]

My auntie is a state worker. Been there for years. Does nothing but Facebook most of the day. Gets paid 80k+ plus CRAZY good benefits. She literally files all day. This is why a lot of states are in debt.

[@brianrajala7671]

As Dr Thomas Sowell aptly points out, "the key to higher earnings is learning better job skills. And, with each boost in minimum wage, the lowest skilled workers are effectively blocked out of the job market", sometimes forever. That is forever the unintended consequence of a good intention. When a candidate cannot perform a job to be worth what they are required to be paid, they are not hired and consequently have no opportunity to advance themselves by proving themselves worthy of higher pay. In other words, they cannot even get a start, that entry level job.

[@kristinwannemuehler9757]

My husband was in his chief year of surgical residency and a fellow female chief had her first child. He had to cover her call shifts on top of covering his own, further neglecting his own 5 children and his wife. The personal choices his female chief resident decides to make in her off time should not be his or his family's responsibility. Women need to understand that to compete with men in the workplace, they need to be ready to truly compete. That means no paid time off. Businesses aren't charities or forms of welfare.

[@bobi6191]

I’m sorry your husband had to do that but I can’t see how that’s the female chief’s fault. Appropriate arrangements should have been made at the workplace. It seems they just dumped it all on your husband’s head instead of bringing in someone to assist during that time. Employers in all sectors need to realise that children are the future and making it easier for people to start a family is ultimately investing in that future.

[@kristinwannemuehler9757]

@@bobi6191 Unfortunately, this is the way it is in the medical field. I truly believe our culture disenfranchises families, most especially women and children. Especially in early development, the first 5 years really, it behooves parents and children to have one parent stay at home. This especially puts children first, truly investing in the future.

[@meofcourse77]

If I ran a business, and I had to give someone more than a week off....I would step back and wonder if I even needed that person's position.

[@autohelix]

You are Guaranteed by law 12 weeks of unpaid leave from work. That Law has been around since 1993. It's called FMLA.

[@ayrtontrajanodeoliveira8035]

In Brazil we have paid leave for mothers. A funny stuff is happening also because of it. Jobs that usually women did here, like been cashier in a supermarket is now been change and a great number of young homosexuals are replacing women, because business see them as polite as women but without the "extra cost".

[@kraftpunk1712]

This is so funny

[@Schoolship.]

weird that anyone would want to hire a mentally ill person

[@kylem1112]

exactly. women of child bearing age are a liability for employers when it's government mandated folr women to get a fixed time off when bearing children.

[@mankybrains]

That's great and all but what if the homosexuals decide to get smart and demand they get maternity/paternity leave for adopting a newborn baby?

[@heidiw8406]

I worked at Kmart 35 years ago and they gave me paid leave for 4 weeks before my son was born and 6 weeks after my son was born. This was even when they knew I wasn't coming back after my son was born.

[@finaoo1167]

I used to work for a company that has a very generous parental leave policy. The father of a new baby gets the first week off after the baby is born. The primary caregiver of the baby gets 16 weeks paid leave. And if the primary caregiver is not the employee, AND if at any time during the first 16 the (non-employee) primary caregiver can not continue as the primary caregiver, the employee can then take over as the primary caregiver (and take paid leave) for the balance of that 16 weeks. So...my wife got 8 weeks maternity leave from her company when our first baby was born, and I took weeks 1 and 9-16. It came as no surprise that I was laid off almost immediately upon returning to work.

[@c3wpo]

With my job, I received a number of vacation days based on years of service. Additionally I accrued several hrs of sick leave each 2wk pay period. I rarely used my sick leave and was able to roll over the unused portion in case of long term or family illness. When my husband and I were ready to start our family I'd saved all my vacation leave for several years. I was able to combine these two leave benefits at half pay and stay home with my newborn son for 4 months before I returned to work. Three years later, I did the same thing again and stayed home to care for my 2nd child for 3 months. Often, if you plan with your employer, arrangements can be made without government mandates. It requires a little bit of self sacrifice and maximizing 3 day weekend vacations.

[@slofool]

Sorry to hear that. When my wife gave birth i didn't have to use any vacation or sick time. Some people understand how important family is. Others don't seem to care.

[@kenshinscott]

nunayafb I think you miss his point. Paid parental leave is a benefit that’s mostly designed for women remember it’s taking some time for men fathers to be affected by this change too and it depends on the type of work the father has many he cannot leave and must remain at his job while his wife can leave and is alowed to stay home and take care of the child. He is pointing out that he didn’t get parental leave even if his wife was pregnant that’s the point no need to attack him and say he don’t care he is not the boss and if they won’t let him leave to stay with his child there is very little he can do as he is a man and these laws are mostly for women not for men.

[@patroscher6240]

That's nice that you could do that. Many places will not let someone use all their vacation tima all at once like you were able to do.

[@decespugliatorenucleare3780]

I guess they want ALL the money and ALL the free time. Because fuck my employer, right...? Also: if I were a mother, screw my work. When I grow old, in my walls, I wanna have photos withy my babies - not the copies of paychecks and deals closed on behalf of my employer (something I already do even as a male: NOTHING comes first to friends and family. Outside my living expenses, everything is optional).

[@advocacynaccountablity]

You were lucky. Many people don't even have the option to save up leave.

[@joetiger2979]

I’m from the government, and I’m here to help! ...run!!!

[@carultch]

Guns don't kill people, the government does.

[@Baker.Matthew]

US Military in a nutshell.

[@sub-brotherhood8990]

@@carultch dahle, if it gets one degree hotter I'm gonna kick your ass

[@timgiraud7591]

I say feel FREE to take off all the time you want, but employers should not have to pay for it or hold your job for you...

[@cipher88101]

"Why not 26 weeks?" So she wants to be paid for 6 months of NOT working?

[@breadonitsown8950]

I think you missed the point there...she was saying how the number of weeks put up by campaigners and their government allies was totally arbitrary. The point was why is it 12 weeks? Why not just say 26? Would that be any different? They don't explain why 12 is the key number. The other point was that 12 weeks is just a starting point, and it will just grow arbitrarily from there..

[@sams9181]

YES because taking care of children should be a respected job

[@Redmanticore]

already been in northern eu for decades. parenting is seen as respected work of which payment should be provided.

[@jphforex2151]

Kabbala Harris is the queen of pandering.....

[@GMONEYFIFTYFOUR]

JPH FOREX HAHAHAHA

[@jphforex2151]

@@GMONEYFIFTYFOUR (c:

[@MichielVanKets]

who is this Cabal Harassment?

[@jphforex2151]

@@MichielVanKets Some woman who worked on her knees....I heard.

[@muffycrosswire2945]

Even her own father is sick of her identity politics

[@tyrannyterminator4179]

Forced paternity leave would make women less likely to being hired...that would be the result.

[@metaphor239]

LOL

[@dubstepphene82]

Then the solution is to give men tge right to be with their kuds too just like women or neither of them get it.

[@Lue1337]

@@dubstepphene82 by doing that you would have hiring questions like "are you in a relationship right now?"

[@scottyhaines4226]

@@Lue1337 that's an illegal question to ask and if that employer got reported they'd be in deep shit

[@James_Bee]

@@dubstepphene82 some employers actually do.

[@matthewporter5048]

Stossel has been dropping facts since I was a little kid, keep up the good work

[@danpatterson8009]

Fascinating how many adults have no understanding of the fact that the money has to come from somewhere. If you get benefits, someone is paying for them.

[@bradyryden1841]

Knowing the bit of the Republican party supporting is scares me even more

[@ledzeppelin1212]

I'm fine with it as long as it is voluntary and I don't have to pay for anyone else's decisions.

[@therose1277]

I'm not surprised. There are far too many RINOs.

[@dvonpache]

In EVERY hood we have ourselves a sub-nation of Momy's on PERMANENT maternity leave called Section 8 & food stamps...yup, another genius government program!!

[@loganthesaint]

We called them low income housing, but section 8 all the same. 20 years later I still know people up there. It ain’t me.

[@mankybrains]

Well said

[@princessmarlena1359]

“Tax dollars working, so you don’t have to!”

[@anthonyrulich2012]

I always hear Social Security is in trouble. Most people don't know that SSI is capped. When a worker reaches about 139k in a year. SSI is NO LONGER deducted from pay. Why is that?

[@jittersgeyser620]

The job argument that most provide the benefit is not a strong one. My wife was a realtor during a slow period. Then we found out there's no disability support during the time you need off. So, unpaid time. We can finacially survive fine. But I can see how this would hurt many. She went back to selling insurance, but by the 6 months to qualify for paid time off it would be too late. Screwed.

[@iwillnotcomply2230]

Mrs Here - When I was having babies, I had about 9 months to prepare for my time off. I figured out how much money we would need to tide us over and made the conscious effort to save out of every paycheck enough to sustain us while I was off work. Heaven forbid the current generation take on any responsibility or accountability.

[@beccaO0906]

Exactly! People live above their means and then don't understand when they don't have any emergency funds or are in crippling credit card debt.

[@jimbo8651]

Some women have complications with their pregnancy that forces them out of work unexpectedly and income situations change

[@tooltime4640]

Jim Bo you don’t make laws and programs fro the exceptions. Most women don’t have complications and can plan accordingly. Life’s not fair to everyone. Complications and unexpected things happen. That’s something that should be expected

[@Mckle]

not everyone is you.

[@courgette3401]

I Will Not Comply. Having children is a two person job! And yet it seems that in America only women are penalised. Countries need children! Who will pay the taxes to help you out in old age if there aren’t any children. China is realising this now. Every country has realised the benefit of maternity time and pay other than America. 30 years ago in the UK I received 9 months of full paid leave and 3 months of partial paid leave. The rules of leave have changed slightly now. My niece recently took 6 months of paid leave and her other husband took the other six months. This is becoming increasingly common and we then lose the ability of companies to stop recruiting young women for fear of them having children. Companies will then just employ the best person for the job and the country will be the better for it. I feel so sorry for professional women who have returned to work after days or weeks because they feel that women should do this if they want to compete against men. I spent 9 months cuddling , kissing, nursing, loving, bonding with my child. If , as a professional woman you chose not to do this then I feel so sorry for you and your child. You cannot get this time back.Families have babies, not women. America appears to be the last developed country to understand that within a family it is not only the woman who raises the child.

[@aajordan2000]

Sold, I will take all my SS money out now. I am probably only going to get retirement benefits if the gov starts to just print money. The paper might be worth more at that point.

[@Russ-od2yy]

Haha just like in Canada where its been said before our CPP (SS equivalent) is going to be dried up by the time I retire and jackass government keeps giving more and more to current CPP recipients when their value put in is much less.

[@samhudson8836]

The metal in the penny is worth more than it’s worth

[@lianakriebel]

And that's why I'm saving up on my own for retirement. I don't trust SS any more than I can throw a tank.

[@uncagedsoccer4004]

Im fine with that, since i will never see it anyway

[@danieldaniels7571]

Starts to just print money? Uhm... that’s what they’ve been doing for a long long time.

[@Mulerider4Life]

It would be nice to have paid time off, question is, who foots the bill?

[@TwoPlusTwoEqualsFive32]

"we need to retain their talents" except most women work service industry jobs, a job that only takes a day or two to train someone.

[@natalyv84]

I remember when they wanted unpaid leave and I said, "Just wait. They will eventually want "paid" leave." I was right. Bottom line = I don't want to pay for your birthing with my time or my money. Take responsibility and pay your own way.

[@chrisbeagle2800]

Of all the things our government spends money on, paid maternity/paternity time is one I can actually get behind. The benefits are obvious.

[@chrisbeagle2800]

kommisar i watch a ton of Stossel’s shows. But with of all the waste of money government programs out there, parental leave isn’t one of them. Allowing a worker to take time off to bond with a child is something we should be for. It benefits child, parent and family. If someone is working, it means they are paying into the system. They should be able to have paid time off to bond with a child.

[@maxscott3349]

Mandating unpaid leave makes sense. Wouldn't that be something you'd do anyways, if you were an employer? I would. Paid is an entirely different story, though.

[@fivebooks8498]

kommisar They aren’t proposing that the government pay for the time off. The government will just pass a law that says businesses have to give paid time off. The business will have to pay for it. It’s so easy for the government to be generous with other people’s money.

[@chrisbeagle2800]

kommisar you pay into the system through an SDI tax, which we have to pay anyway here in California. Your benefits for parental leave (and other types of short term medical leave), are distributed from this. It’s actually a smart way to protect employers from having to foot the bill for medical leaves, while providing people some security during these times. I get the libertarian argument of no government involvement in private business at all. But I disagree with it here. As a society, we need to make sure we evolve to a point where we can take care of the things that matter most to us. Family, and child rearing are central to a productive, healthy society. So if we can figure out a way to allow parents to bond and raise an infant, while not going into financial ruin, then it makes sense to explore options on how to do that.

[@hotfudgemoney]

I’m so glad John Stossel is back in my life. I used to love seeing him on network news when I was a young lad.

[@42luke93]

Just like how minimum wage makes hiring kids like me a risk compared to an adult for the same cost.

[@wildbikerbill6530]

Trivia fact: When the first minimum wage laws were being passed back in the 1930's, it was intended to make hiring young blacks uneconomic vs. hiring union labor. It's in the Congressional Record.

[@dfens762]

I've always felt that *IF* mothers are entitled to paid maternity leave, it should go through medicaid or social security. It's absurd to expect every employer to pay for several weeks/months of leave for an employee that might not even come back to work after having the kid.

[@zlocish]

Thats how it is in civilized world, not in your shitty US.

[@RabidNemo]

One thing I noticed that isn't being mentioned is they say it's the price of a cup of coffee. That may be all well and good for one person but when you're talking about a hundreds or even thousands of cups of coffee that changes things

[@luneytunes1998]

Gov't should leave us alone.🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@FRN2013]

Stossel mentioned higher unemployment for young women. Another problem with mandatory paid child leave is that it hurts small businesses more than corporations. If you only have two employees, and you're forced to give one leave for months, it can devastate you.

[@thecaptain1708]

But what is the point of having all that power if you can't boss people around?

[@bluorion4360]

As Pepe the Frog said " I just want to be left alone "

[@campkira]

they are blood sucking....

[@rebeccaweinstein6560]

I am so mad when I see the new taxes for MA paid family leave act come out of my paycheck. Leave my paycheck alone! And noooooo social security for younger people. That's crazy!!! I don't want to support everyone's life choices!

[@lilykotzev2081]

If you want high quality adults you need parents to stay home during the early years.

[@rollinOnCode]

There is no such thing as a free lunch

[@noone8418]

Everyone wants to get paid to not work

[@herrschaftg35]

Because welfare recipients are the true role models for morals and ethics...

[@lilykotzev2081]

@@herrschaftg35 well back in the day it was possible to have a family on one person's income. Then the gov got greedy and pushed women into the work force. Doubled GDP over night and shoved infants in daycare. Short teem gain. Fast forward several years later and now you have damaged semi functional adults and the distruction of the nuclear family.

[@herrschaftg35]

@@lilykotzev2081: The government has been devaluing the dollar and increasing the cost of living for many decades. I would say that the reduction of the nuclear family via government welfare has been far more destructive than encouraging women to go into the workforce. Even though they can easily be connected to one another. I was playing devil's advocate with my original comment since parents staying at home isn't always a good thing.

[@jcrowley1985]

Does universal parental leave include dad's? I thought feminists wanted equality

[@joyaustin6581]

It should include those of us that don’t want kid

[@arnigeir1597]

it does is some places, yes.

[@jessasdad]

It does in California

[@Redmanticore]

does in northern europe.

[@saturn0660]

When my daughter was born..: I took 8 total weeks off with pay.. that was 16 years ago.. I’m a male... I worked Wal-Mart at the time.

[@Sir_Pumpington_Of_Dumpenshire]

asshole

[@razzix2]

This video was released right before I was out on paid parental leave. I will always cherish the time off that I got to spend at home with the family. To the lady's note - it is a generous perk offered by my company to entice and retain talent. Many are following suit and it was definitely one of the benefits that drew me to the job. Quite generous compared to my wife's leave and other companies I have worked for. Honestly involving the government would mean that my leave would likely have been halved or worse down to some national average. No thanks - let me and my employer hash out and negotiate what works best for both of us.

[@dominicj7977]

I am just curious, Which employer would give paid leave for parenting by negotiating?

[@Dogthedeadly]

Hey, just thought I should let you know that Canada offers 17 weeks at 95% pay by default, and up to 35 weeks at 60% of pay. This being separate from vacation and sick leave. I don't know what you got but I doubt it's more than that.

[@razzix2]

​@@Dogthedeadly Thats not bad. There are lots of companies in the US doing 16+ weeks at full pay as it is. I much prefer my arrangement with my employer. Thank you for the input!

[@Dogthedeadly]

@@razzix2 only about 20% of US workers have paid parental leave at all.

[@razzix2]

​@@Dogthedeadly Sure, many employers do not offer discounts, further still many do not offer free food and drinks in the office - etc. Some have better or better pricing on healthcare - some offer compensation for metro travel etc. Its a pro/con of benefits eval for your qualified field. If it is important to you choose from the growing number of employers offering it as a perk or discuss such leave with your management and HR. More than half of my colleagues couldn't care in the slightest about parental leave but I know I see it all the time popping up in my local job listings where it wasn't mentioned prior and for surprisingly small businesses.

[@lotgc]

I find it ironic that everyone want woman to be more than stay at home moms, yet they want women to be at home as much as possible

[@lotgc]

@Ken MacDonald are you sure? Can you reveal unto me why does it seem that in a place like New York, there are so many single mothers that misuse welfare in order to avoid working?

[@jtr82369]

Negative, you’re not special because you have kids 🙄

[@Terror_Rick]

Nowadays people are having kids before committing to a relationship lol. Having kids is far from anything special! 100% agreed!

[@jackmcslay]

Congrats on 200.000 subscribers!

[@jbb8261]

I’m pregnant and left the workforce. I’m not returning to a company while I have a baby at home or in daycare. That’s sick. Family leave isn’t an employers problem. Some women have way too many babies. If you’re pregnant for ten years, you are costing an employer. A man or a childless woman would make them more. Secure a life for yourself where you’re not independent on an employer giving you barely two months to care for your new baby. Get married before having a baby, pay off your home, don’t have high car payments, BE RESPONSIBLE.

[@fujimama4530]

Other countries have paid family leave and their economies are fine. Why would it not work here in the U.S.?

[@flyfishingnutz]

Say it again John! "We don't need another government program" 👍

[@charcounsel4432]

I could not afford ANY time off. I went back to work three days after I had my kid. Guess what? My kid turned out fine. You do what you got to do to make ends meet.

[@aaronandrus1046]

Why is it that the US is the only industrialized country that doesn't mandate paid leave (that includes vacation, sick days, and holidays)? Because in the US profit reigns king, not the well being of people. People are sicker, unhappy, and overworked. Even Afghanistan has mandatory paid leave. My wife and I just had our first child. I had to work out a deal with my employer. My wife only received 3 weeks, and I only received 1 week. The fact that I can't spend more than a week bonding with my newborn child and assisting my wife in child rearing is a disgrace. Our human nature is to be with our children, if companies can't afford to pay for a couple weeks for their employees to raise a family, they shouldn't be in business.

[@pandorin2348]

I was told that social security might not even be available in the future. Im 44 and have been told that the program wont exist in the next 20 years

[@Weavus1]

I love my unlimited PTO and some 12 weeks of parental leave, but that's the choice of the company I work for. I totally agree that the government should stay out of it.

[@srki22]

What are you talking about? Which company gives unlimited PTO? I know of companies that give unlimited TO, but if there is a company that gives unlimited PTO I would like to apply and take it, so that I can get paid for a couple of years while I work on some private business.

[@GeneralChangOfDanang]

@@srki22 Unlimited PTO is a trap. It's there but most employees don't use it for fear of termination.

[@srki22]

@@GeneralChangOfDanang I know of companies giving unlimited TO, but not of companies giving unlimited PTO.

[@blakelewison9872]

Why should the government not mandate paid leave?

[@macclift9956]

It's a sense of entitlement that usually goes hand in hand with low emotional intelligence: somehow, the world owes you; you should get as much as possible for free!

[@Munchausenification]

I dont think it has anything to do with emotional intelligence. I live in Denmark and if you want, you can stop working and get more money from government than some workers (I think it is ridiculous) but for some reason, people choose to work as much as they can. People dont want to be reliant on others once they hit adulthood (the people who stay childish seems to also be the ones on government payroll). I like the republicans giving the opportunity rather than mandatory since it otherwise hurt equality between man and woman. Interesting statistic that European women have less leaderroles, it is probably correct that mandatory leave is a big cause of this.

[@macclift9956]

@@Munchausenification Perhaps each country, and even each culture, is different. It could be that Denmark has a high-average IQ, and homogeneous cultures; there is less of a sense of entitlement and emotional intelligence is high? In countries with a low-average IQ, South Africa, for example, where the average IQ is 70 (WorldData.Info), there is seemingly a sense of entitlement and low emotional intelligence (on the *laundry list of negative traits* that low IQ inflicts on society), that results in a *"the world owes me"* mentality; it's a mentality that can cripple the economy of any country VERY quickly!

[@Munchausenification]

@@macclift9956 Well to be honest, Im not an expert so I shouldnt really have any idea on how this works. But you are right on the mentality of low emotional intelligence. I just dont see how it is connected to paid family leave. Otherwise a lot of countries in the world must have below average emotional intelligence using your hypothesis. I dont think you meant it like that though.

[@macclift9956]

@@Munchausenification It can be very confusing, and comparing one country with another is perhaps like comparing apple and oranges. The way I see it, in countries where the average IQ is reasonably high and cultures are homogeneous, perhaps all people pay tax, or have paid tax, during their working lives, so paid maternity leave is quite normal and is not open to exploitation, but in a country like South Africa, for example, where the average IQ is low, the birth rate *astronomically high,* and the tax base under 4 million in a population of over 50 million, the *paid leave* becomes the problem of the 4 million, and eventually that sense of entitlement of the masses to free "stuff," for want of a better word, cripples the economy of the country! If I can think of something to add to this, I'll get back to you in this comment section :)

[@coldfinger459sub0]

32 years ago my wife was lucky for first son six weeks vacation then their second son came and then her third cat son came because she was a valued asset that was hard to replace and the owner of the company did not want to lose her. And I got two weeks off to help look after my wife while she recovered.

[@Benjamin1986980]

Even if there is no discrimination, if a woman has two children and get 6 months maternity leave each, then she is a permanent year behind her male colleagues. Also, women of childbearing age cannot be mission critical. If a company can go three to six months without you working, your job must not be very important. This is devastating for small businesses who have to rely on single people to perform entire departments, and even medium sized companies often have one or two people performing critical roles. Women simply cannot take these positions, which often have more prestige and more exposure, if they're going to take extended maternity leave.

[@Dollface98]

We can fix that by giving men paternity leave as well. There made it even

[@Benjamin1986980]

@@Dollface98 unless you're making that paternity leave mandatory, no, you're not. Also, maternity leave isn't paid, and I don't know about you, but back on my kid was born, there was no way I could afford the family to be without income for a month or more. So again we're back on square one

[@jesusreignsforever2561]

Man, I love John Stossel!!! Keep up the great work!!!!

[@diegojimenez6087]

Yeah had an employee who would just get up and walk out of work every day at 5:40 to pick up her child from day care. Didn’t matter what was happening in front of her, customers, coworkers or meetings that were going on. She’d just get up and say “I have to leave, I have a child.” HR permitted this for 4 years because it was a “”life Choise”, but denied my life choice of having to leave work at the same time, to take a class that would have benefited the business, for only 8 consecutive Wednesday’s.

[@mikmik9034]

Sickening Amusing, In a time of Forced Inflation caused by Government, Workers have the power to raise WAGES, which is well know to drive inflation up. The one business cost that 'was' controllable was WAGE. When a wage goes up, prices go up too.

[@marknelson2905]

It's not fair for people who chose not to have children. They are not compensative for not leaving work with pay and have to cover for the people that take time off for children. It's not fair for all Americans.