FF call or one year maternity leave

emmabrighton

So just heard Ray D'arcy talking about FF suggesting that parents should be able to take a year off for maternity leave.

Now I dislike FF as much as the next person and would have said I would never vote FF in again as a result of how they handled bailing out the banks and the resulting fall out and property bubble.

However if they could guarantee this, I would be hard pressed not to vote for them.

Article here: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/fianna-fail-call-for-one-year-maternity-leave-605709.html

OU812

You actually believe that?

f they told you black was white and they were going to pay everyone who said it was, what colour would you declare?

They should never be in power again.

emmabrighton

No I don't believe it would ever come to pass but if it did it..., but if they could somehow guarantee it..., I would be as happy as the proverbial pig! Only got 3 months with my baby at home because he was premature and spent the first 3 months in hospital. It was heart wrenching having to leave him to go back to work at 3 months corrected age because my partner was unemployed.

The WHO states that exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond. Hard to do when you work full time.

I pumped for a further 4 months but I could not produce as much milk pumping and had to start introducing formula. Also, it started getting me down when I realized that I was spending more quality time with my pump than with my baby/ my husband. Then I chucked it in. That meant I didn't hit my hard target of 12 months actual age, yet alone 12 months corrected age.

If this was an issue for all parties, it would be great. And if it got pushed through, they joy for all mothers, especially those with premature babies.

I hope never to have another premature baby but for all the moms who will, I would definitely back this idea...

Sleepy

It's very easy to call for things when you're in opposition. Remember all Labours promises to burn the bond-holders, not to make any more cuts etc. prior to the election?

The sad reality is that politicians make empty promises in the hope that people (like yourself) will vote for them on the basis of them.

emmabrighton

I have never voted FF.

I suppose it was more of a "what if" post... you know, wouldn't it be fantastic for us mothers kind of way?

And that they are actually talking about it...

All the awful things going on these days - this would have been one haven that would really make me feel warm and fuzzy.

Id give anything to spend 1 year at home with my baby... *sigh*

Moonbeam

the argument might be that we already get nearly a year off
26 week paid(even if it is pittance) 16 weeks unpaid + annual leave and bank holidays.

emmabrighton

Moonbeam wrote: »

the argument might be that we already get nearly a year off
26 week paid(even if it is pittance) 16 weeks unpaid + annual leave and bank holidays.

Hmmm. That is true but with an unemployed partner, I had to go back to work... so I know that I am only a small subsection of the population but my arguement is that my OH cant breast feed so he is not in the position to meet the WHO recommendations

Moonbeam

oh I am not saying that it is right,I took 8 months with my 1st and 2nd. A year paid and for those that can the option to share leave would be good too.

emmabrighton

Moonbeam wrote: »

oh I am not saying that it is right,I took 8 months with my 1st and 2nd. A year paid and for those that can the option to share leave would be good too.

Gosh, I know that you weren't agreeing with it... and sure wouldn't 12 months paid leave for everyone be great...

But I suppose, where would the money come from? Considering all the talk of means testing the children's allowance...

The country can't afford it... *quickly types "english speaking jobs in Scandinavia" into search engine :cool:*

Penny Dreadful

emmabrighton wrote: »

No I don't believe it would ever come to pass but if it did it..., but if they could somehow guarantee it..., I would be as happy as the proverbial pig! Only got 3 months with my baby at home because he was premature and spent the first 3 months in hospital. It was heart wrenching having to leave him to go back to work at 3 months corrected age because my partner was unemployed.

The WHO states that exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond. Hard to do when you work full time.

I pumped for a further 4 months but I could not produce as much milk pumping and had to start introducing formula. Also, it started getting me down when I realized that I was spending more quality time with my pump than with my baby/ my husband. Then I chucked it in. That meant I didn't hit my hard target of 12 months actual age, yet alone 12 months corrected age.

If this was an issue for all parties, it would be great. And if it got pushed through, they joy for all mothers, especially those with premature babies.

I hope never to have another premature baby but for all the moms who will, I would definitely back this idea...

I think it would be a better move to have more affordable child care rather than spend the money on extending paid maternity leave.

Oryx

Not that it will happen, but it should be parental, rather than maternity leave. There needs to be an option for Dads to take leave as well.

I didn't get maternity leave, as such, self employment does not allow for such luxury. A year off? I wish.

Zulu

Oryx wrote: »

Not that it will happen, but it should be parental, rather than maternity leave. There needs to be an option for Dads to take leave as well. .

Exactly this. It saddens me that the conversation is 1 year maternity (and possibly 1 week unpaid paternity). Are we ever going to grow up as a society?

When the conversation matures to the point of discussing 1 year parental leave, I'll be happy.

vitani

emmabrighton wrote: »

Now I dislike FF as much as the next person and would have said I would never vote FF in again as a result of how they handled bailing out the banks and the resulting fall out and property bubble.

I know I'm totally ignoring the point of this thread, but my issue with FF wouldn't be how they handled the bailout, but more the fact that they blindly drove us into the situation in the first place, refusing to believe that the bubble could burst, and therefore not planning for any possible downturn in the economy.

Aside from that, a year of maternity leave would be great but I'd prefer more emphasis placed on the idea that parental leave could be split between partners.

seamus

Pretty sneaky of FF to make this call and claim it as their own, just one day after a government appointed body made exactly the same recommendation:

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/national-strategy-group-calls-for-one-year-maternity-leave-609747.html

FF trying to claim credit for this, obviously.

Chances are there'll be some changes to it before the next election. If not an extension to a full year, at the very minimum unpaid paternity leave and 40 weeks paid maternity leave will probably be the norm by then.

jaykay74

Oryx wrote: »

Not that it will happen, but it should be parental, rather than maternity leave. There needs to be an option for Dads to take leave as well.

I didn't get maternity leave, as such, self employment does not allow for such luxury. A year off? I wish.

In Ireland dads are treated as 2nd class citizens with regards childrens rights and I don't think that'll change anytime soon.

Big Bag of Chips

We were promised free medication for asthmatics years ago, by FG. Never happened.

Free GP care for under 5s has been promised since before my 8 year old was born. Never happened.

It's an interesting topic to debate "wouldn't it be great"... But like the lotto, I wouldn't go making any plans based on it!

emmabrighton

Oryx wrote: »

Not that it will happen, but it should be parental, rather than maternity leave. There needs to be an option for Dads to take leave as well.

I didn't get maternity leave, as such, self employment does not allow for such luxury. A year off? I wish.

Actually yes, this would be a far superior alternative.

Let the parents choose who could stay at home with their little baby.

Xdancer

Be thankful for your 26 weeks. Here the mother only gets 16 weeks paid leave and the father gets 1 week paid

emmabrighton

Xdancer wrote: »

Be thankful for your 26 weeks. Here the mother only gets 16 weeks paid leave and the father gets 1 week paid

Good point, we do have a lot of thing to be grateful for but I still don't think we should stop pushing just because other people have it worse than us...

Our healthcare isn't 100% but I met a woman from Malawai while in hospital who told me that never mind her premature baby (born at 26 weeks) but she too would have died if she would have given birth under the same conditions there.

(1 in 36 mothers die in child birth)

source

Moonbeam

interesting - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_leave#Europe

Xdancer

emmabrighton wrote: »

Good point, we do have a lot of thing to be grateful for but I still don't think we should stop pushing just because other people have it worse than us...

Our healthcare isn't 100% but I met a woman from Malawai while in hospital who told me that never mind her premature baby (born at 26 weeks) but she too would have died if she would have given birth under the same conditions there.

(1 in 36 mothers die in child birth)

source

Of course you shouldn't stop pushing for more.
However I prefer to have 16 weeks maternity and our excellent hospitals and free healthcare, than 26 weeks and the Irish hospitals and healthcare

emmabrighton

Xdancer wrote: »

Of course you shouldn't stop pushing for more.
However I prefer to have 16 weeks maternity and our excellent hospitals and free healthcare, than 26 weeks and the Irish hospitals and healthcare

I couldn't comment on the healthcare in Spain but would love to live there some day.

But what is it with people offering either/or - why can't it be both?

2xj3hplqgsbkym

While I, and, I am sure most parents would love the opportunity to have 1 year paid leave with their baby, the idea is absolutely ridiculous in our economy.

To think that small businesses in this country who get little or no help from government and struggle to borrow from banks could afford to pay for one years paid leave and employ someone in their place, is just absurd. Women would not be employed, for fear they would get pregnant, so more people would be unemployed.

Another idea from fianna fail to bankrupt the country again.

Chattastrophe!

Natasha Small Pinball wrote: »

While I, and, I am sure most parents would love the opportunity to have 1 year paid leave with their baby, the idea is absolutely ridiculous in our economy.

To think that small businesses in this country who get little or no help from government and struggle to borrow from banks could afford to pay for one years paid leave and employ someone in their place, is just absurd. Women would not be employed, for fear they would get pregnant, so more people would be unemployed.

Another idea from fianna fail to bankrupt the country again.

In fairness, businesses are under no obligation to pay employees for maternity leave, and many don't.

echo beach

Battlestar Tlachtga wrote: »

In fairness, businesses are under no obligation to pay employees for maternity leave, and many don't.

True but having key staff absent for long periods is very disruptive to any workplace. Replacements have to be trained and other staff often resent having to take on extra work or responsibilities.
If BOTH parents took time off and it became the norm for male employees (of all ages) to go off for months at a time then it would be a much more even playing field for women who face an unspoken barrier when competing for employment. It would also be better for children to have their fathers more fully involved. There is no reason why the unpaid leave option couldn't be made available to EITHER parent rather than being confined to the mother as it is at present.

pwurple

echo beach wrote: »

There is no reason why the unpaid leave option couldn't be made available to EITHER parent rather than being confined to the mother as it is at present.

Well, there is already unpaid parental leave available to both, but men rarely take it. Who can afford to take completlly unpaid leave in this day and age? We certainly can't. But I also don't see why the Maternity benefit can't be shared as it is elsewhere. Maternity benefit can only be transferred to the man at the moment when he is widowed. I'd prefer the flexibilty where I can stay alive too, and go back to work when I am physically recovered. He would love a month or two with the baby. We could never afford it unpaid though.

And you know what, I think it would be great for the baby and the father to get that bit of time together. There are so many dads who never bond properly with their kids, because they have long work days or long commutes. It really isn't good for either the child, or the dad. And that old argument between couples where they don't understand eachothers pressures could have some light shed on it.

I know about 5 smallish irish companies who deliberately never employ women engineers in case they get pregnant and take maternity leave, because it is is so expensive, either to replace them, or to pay them. One of these companies is founded and run by a woman, but she's no idiot. I see exactly where she is coming from. It would be daft to hire women when the scales are tipped as they are. I am interviewing people at the moment to replace me on mat leave next year, and I do have it in my mind that if I go for a woman, she might get pregnant in this time and I'll be left with no cover during some part of my leave. I am much more likely to go for a guy.

If the men can take leave too, then employment equality becomes much more natural. Far better than any quota system. I wouldn't even consider gender when interviewing, as either can take leave.

There are plenty of women who don't even want, or can't have children, and they are needlessly discriminated against by the current system. It's such a waste of talent. It limits their career options too as they are much more likely to get into multinationals rather than startups or small companies.

Shared paid leave is win win. Relationships improve, children bond with both parents, parents both experience that babytime, society benefits, equality benefits. Should be exchequer neutral too.

missis aggie

Natasha Small Pinball wrote: »

While I, and, I am sure most parents would love the opportunity to have 1 year paid leave with their baby, the idea is absolutely ridiculous in our economy.

To think that small businesses in this country who get little or no help from government and struggle to borrow from banks could afford to pay for one years paid leave and employ someone in theot place, is just absurd. Women would not be employed, for fear they would get pregnant, so more people would be unemployed.

Another idea from fianna fail to bankrupt the country again.

I don't think a year maternity leave would be implemented for a "love of parents to stay home". Its in child's best interest to stay with a mother or father for a first year of their life. For example breastfeeding should be continued for a year ( after a year animal milk can be introduced and solid food intake is established). We all know health benefits of breastfeeding ( therefore benefits to economy). Look at other countries with a year or longer parental leave ( lately Poland), they are certainly not bancrupt..
There is far more to it.