Posted on 08/24/2022 2:02:07 PM PDT by Brookhaven
My company recently expanded its parental leave policy so that anyone, regardless of gender, gets the same, generous leave of six months fully paid. It’s called “bonding leave” so the intent is pretty clear. One of my male colleagues told me very matter of factly that he is intending to take his full leave after his wife’s paid maternity leave is up. But, instead of caring for the baby, he is going to get a “second” job for 6 months and his wife is going to stay home with the baby and take unpaid leave from her job. In effect, he will have two salaries (but work one job), and she will have no salary. They will actually net out ahead financially because he earns more than her. He is actually going to make tremendously more money during those 6 months, because he is going to do an hourly contractor job, since his benefits are paid for by our company.
I’m appalled but can’t put my finger on why this bothers me so much. His point is that our company – a Fortune 500 company with tens of thousands of employees and plenty of money – is not paying a penny more than they would otherwise; he doesn’t want to care for the baby full-time and his wife desperately does, so they are “maximizing utility.” I didn’t want to ask too many questions because it would have been clear I disapprove. Part of it is, I’m a new mom myself but had my baby before the new policy was announced so was only able to take 18 weeks (still generous, but I’m definitely jealous and kind of mad my baby didn’t “count” in the new policy).
(Excerpt) Read more at askamanager.org ...
Re: “Sounds like he’s being a good father and working so his wife can stay home with the baby”.
You said it perfectly.
The alternative is he doesn’t work and stays home. either way he’s not working. Your issue is with the policy and how large companies work, not him IMO
Exactly
Six months of paternity leave is ridiculous anyway. If the company can get by without someone for six months, they can get by without that person forever.
I think I just found my long-lost sister! I hate teams as well, and can usually outwork a team of six of so.
“I hate teams as well, and can usually outwork a team of six of so.”
Exactly. In my career, my feeling was, “Just get out of my way and let me do my job.”
My question would be: Is this any business of the woman complaining about it?
If she gets more work thrust upon her at the same pay because the guy is on leave, then yes, I say it is her business.
We hired a private investigator who was able to obtain video of the guy working in a gun store, lifting and moving around heavy crates of ammunition.
We called him in to HR along with his union rep and forced him back to work.
The issue is not whether the guy takes paternity leave. He’s got a new kid at home, so the company gives time off in that situation. She’ll get the same amount of extra work if the guy is gone for paternity leave or the same duration of any other sort of time off. While the guy’s on paternity leave, he might be at home with his family as the company no doubt intended, or he might work another job, or go on a solo trip to Tahiti. The question of whether or not the latter choices are approved uses of that type of leave is between him and the company, and is none of the woman’s business.
How come we all have to know about this ?
I disagree. The policy (and presumably the employees that agree to work under these policies) is in place with the intent that the new parent can spend time with the child. Not earn a separate income. So, his co-workers may feel OK to sacrifice their labors for a family-intended cause, but not a personal enrichment one.
You are arguing semantics IMO - the guy is going to take the time off regardless - its free money. People use vacation days for personal days and personal days for vacations and companies don’t care there either and frequently sick days for both of those other two types and vice versa as well. They simply bake this into their cost per employee and move on. Sure - some store manager may be a stickler but at the corporate level I promise they don’t care. It’s not like every mom that takes 12+ weeks off is spending all that time with their kid either.
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