Survey: U.S. workplace not family-oriented

MSNBC ^ | 1 February 2007 | Harvard and McGill University

[kipita]

Nation lags far behind virtually all wealthy countries in work-life balance. NEW YORK - The United States lags far behind virtually all wealthy countries with regard to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding, a new study by Harvard and McGill University researchers says. The new data comes as politicians and lobbyists wrangle over whether to scale back the existing federal law providing unpaid family leaves or to push new legislation allowing paid leaves. The study, officially being issued Thursday, says workplace policies for families in the United States are weaker than those of all high-income countries and many middle- and low-income countries. Notably, it says the U.S. is one of only five countries out of 173 in the survey that does not guarantee some form of paid maternity leave; the others are Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea.

[Izzy Dunne]

Survey: U.S. Homes not work-oriented.

[dakine]

"...does not guarantee some form of paid maternity leave"

Choice. You have the choice to take a job that "guarantees"
leave....

[sure_fine]

"The United States lags far behind virtually all wealthy countries with regard to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding, a new study by Harvard and McGill University researchers says"




meaning we are not socialist enough

[Uncle Ike]

Typical Lib "Make the findings fit the politics" dreck --

Nowhere in the whole article does it balance the "horrible working conditions" against unemployment, tax burden, or purchasing power of wages.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that will serve as the basis for yet more bad legislation.

[endthematrix]

[Caipirabob]

Now darn it, when I'm in a meeting planning an enhancement to a business system for a 3 billion $ corporation, it's my right to bring my daughter there and have her spill milk and cookies on the plans while explaining "Barnies latest exploits" to the CIO. That's he's there for, yes?

What? It's not?!?

[Locomotive Breath]

Survey: American productivity eats everyone else's lunch.

[aliquis]

I don't think it has to do with socialism. Often I see people buggering around the whole day and then frantically doing their work after hours...

In the end of the day, it doesn't matter - as long as you like your job, why can't you do it for as long as you like and whenever you like? And if you don't like your job, why not find the one that your do?

It's more of a cultural thing, I guess...

The productivity could be improved though...

[sure_fine]

I can't believe a freeper said that

[johnny7]

Capitalist pigs deny life's basic needs to the proletariat masses! Workers... unite with your comrades at the DNC to achieve blessed victory through the all-powerful state!

[aliquis]

Said what? That we need to work harder?

[Thrownatbirth]

I work in a gun factory.

[Dahoser]

I cannot imagine how this news story came about.

Oh gee, can you guess who said this? From http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/children/

Today's families are often stretched thin – working to make ends meet while also trying to carve out time to care for their young children and aging relatives. To help provide flexibility for families, I have championed legislation that would expand after school programs, make high-quality childcare more accessible and affordable for working parents, and provide respite care for elderly individuals who are unable to care for themselves. I have also co-sponsored legislation that would ensure that workers can take paid time off when they are sick. Today, close to half of all private employees have no paid sick leave, and many more are unable to take time off to care for a sick child. I am a proud co-sponsor of S.282, which expands the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide parents with time off from work to go the doctors’ office with their child. This bill also takes the next step towards helping parents balance work and family by providing paid family and medical leave to qualifying individuals and allowing parents time off to attend teacher conferences for their children. Since President Clinton signed the FMLA into law in 1993, more than 50 million Americans have taken advantage of it. But many more are not able to because they cannot give up their paycheck. S. 282 would make paid leave a reality for the millions of New Yorkers who need paid time off to care for their loved ones. I am also a proud cosponsor of the Healthy Families Act, S.932, which would provide workers with seven paid days of sick-leave, giving parents time off from work to go to the doctors’ office with their child or aging relative- or to address their own health needs.

Both bills have essentially the same hardcore set of Senate socialists as co-sponsors:

S.282			S.392
Sponsor:	Sen. Christopher Dodd [D-CT]		Sponsor:	Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA]
Co-sponsors:	Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI] Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA] Sen. Hillary Clinton [D-NY] Sen. Jon Corzine [D-NJ] Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI] Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA] Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ] Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT] Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D-MD] Sen. Patty Murray [D-WA] Sen. Paul Sarbanes [D-MD]		Co-sponsors:	Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI] Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA] Sen. Hillary Clinton [D-NY] Sen. Jon Corzine [D-NJ] Sen. Mark Dayton [D-MN] Sen. Christopher Dodd [D-CT] Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] Sen. Russell Feingold [D-WI] Sen. Thomas Harkin [D-IA] Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI] Sen. John Kerry [D-MA] Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ] Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D-MD] Sen. Patty Murray [D-WA] Sen. Charles Schumer [D-NY]

Not that I think there's any collusion between the RATS, the DBM and colleges like Harvard.

[SomeoneNeedsToSayIt]

This may explain why the U.S. has 4% of the worlds population but produces 20% of the worlds goods and services.

We're actually working. We're not on paid leave, holiday etc. We are at work to work. If you don't want to work, STAY HOME!

[sphinx]

Technology could be liberating (and sometimes is), but it can also make things worse. With cellphones, blackberries, and the internet, organizations start to assume 24/availability.

That said, my biggest issue is with the schools, which take every holiday known to man plus random "teachers work days" thrown about the calendar. That makes for a lot of awkward absences that one simply has to work around.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I work for the DoD handling personnel disputes. Socialist countries that load up benefits on benefits simply make it more expensive for hiring people. There is a huge cost associated with paid family leave. Most American companies give some form of sick leave. The Family Medical Leave Act allows employees to take off unpaid (paid if they use accrued sick or annual leave) leave once a year for themselves or their family. I don't disagree with this, but there is still a cost to the employer. Also, the workers in that office with the absent employee have to do his/her work in addition to their own.
What we have in the US is working, don't ruin it.

[Tax-chick]

my biggest issue is with the schools, which take every holiday known to man plus random "teachers work days" thrown about the calendar.

Declare independence, homeschool, and set your own calendar.

[Hydroshock]

My workplace would tattoo a barcode on my forehead if they thought they could get away with it. Drone 4821E-09X scanning into work.

[Kimberly GG]

My corporation was employee-owned and the corporate environment was very family oriented. When my mother was dying from cancer I was given FMLA leave for several weeks AND fortunately my job was still there upon return. So was my boss (CFO,COO), who's first words upon my return 2 days following her funeral, "Maybe we can get some work done now, if there are no more mom's to die?"

@#&-*^@%