After chatting with a friend ...

[blamebrampton]

The following poll will be very helpful in sorting some ideas. If you are in paid work and have a minute or two spare, it would be lovely to hear from you![Poll #1401151][Poll #1401151]

Comments

[kayleigh-jane.livejournal.com]

Brammers, I am baffled by these questions. I answered as far as I knew, but the whole idea of unpaid maternity leave and that you have to negotiate those things in your contract is absurd to me. This may be because I live in a welfare state (the Netherlands) and everything is taken care of. I have a minimum amout of vacation hours (72) which no-one can touch. The normal amount you get is about 140 hours. The hours I don't use are paid out or taken to the next year. And I get vacation money, 8% of my yearly income, to go on holiday with.

Sick leave is paid by the company's insurance. You are reported when you are ill and they pay your full salary. When you are ill for a long time you can be forced to see a doctor who will determine if you are indeed ill. Just to make sure you have not taken a holiday. Protection of both the employer and the employee.

Maternity leave goes by the same idea, you have three to four months and can add your normal leave to that. Fully paid and your job will be held for you.

I view all these things as normal, and now I see that it is apparently more exception than rule for the most of the pollers... Eye opener and a depressing one at that.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It's terrifying, isn't it? Australia has only JUST started with paid maternity leave for all workers. Madness. The UK is a bit better.

I've had cover from most of my private employers through my career, but not from the last two (it's OK for me, I have never wanted to have kids). I asked the CFO of the evil publishing company I worked for until my mag was unexpectedly folded last year why. 'There are lots of women here, it would cost us money!' he said. 'But doesn't recruiting new staff cost you more?' I asked. 'That's not the point,' he blustered.

Alas, there are a lot of people who like the American business model who think that way. What is absurd is the idea that it is good for the company, when any look at the Netherlands, where retention of staff, morale and general innovation are generally higher shows what a stupid idea it is.

And although personal taxes are higher, the overall benefit to the individual is massively better than in other lower-tax, low-benefits countries.

In Oceania, New Zealand has a system that is not dissimilar to Scandinavia. Australia is quite good for holidays and sick leave, though it has just come out of a government that was keen on stripping workers' conditions, but not so good on the parental stuff.

Still miles ahead of America. What provoked the questions was talking to yet another American who has 5-10 days leave per annum. That's just barbaric!