Re: sense of entitlement?

[thebirthlyhallows]

My DB and SIL do not have children nor do then plan or wish to in the future.

During a recent conversation SIL said that when she hits the menopause she should be allowed to take a 9 nine month break from work in order to do whatever she wants whilst receiving "pay" from the government.

I am currently on maternity leave with my first child and it is definitely not a "break" from work!

This makes me feel uneasy but I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable. Why should she feel like she wants 9 months off work just because she has decided not to have children? Should men also be entitled to 9 months off if they decide not to give birth!?

AIBU to feel that she is being ridiculous? Has anyone else ever met anyone with the same view?

Oh, and my maternity leaves were a piece of piss compared to being at work!!

I think a government subsidised sabbatical for everyone every ten years would be fair - 3 months or so for people to recharge batteries and broaden their minds. In one person's working life it would only amount to one year off but would pay dividends in health benefits.

Interesting point there about a sabbatical being a way to eliminate discrimation of women of child-bearing age. I think equal paternity leave does much the same thing though.

Doubt it, few men will actually take it up.

itsmecathy My darling cousin lost a baby at 7.5 months (i.e. = stillbirth) and frankly was in no fit state to work - she was devestated. She used her maternity leave to have a think about what came next for her and retired essentially from her high powered and very pressurised job to work as a TA and eventually to retrain as a midwife.

It's a contractual right, not some nebulous benefit. I don't want to put words in your mouth but following your statement to its logical conclusion, DCous would have been straight back at work - which wouldn't have benefitted either her or her employer.

But YY to zeezeek having worked alongside and picked up the role of for a small amount of additional pay a woman who came back for a whole three months between mat leaves it is understandable how it can make colleagues rankled (even if as I said just now a contractual right).

Rights and impact on colleagues are two different things...