To think that women without children should be able to take time off work too?

[Playfair]

Firstly I will say that I am 100% supportive of good maternity leave (and paternity / shared), and understand the importance of supporting women to maintain a career, care for children or whatever else they wish.

I also acknowledge that maintaining birth rates is critical for society. And that maternity leave is spent doing work in raising a child.

Reflecting on my company's good maternity policy (about 6 months paid) and also some other institutions that have announced paid time off for those undergoing fertility treatment, it leaves me wondering about those of us without children (by choice or otherwise).

I'm in my thirties and will never have children. I'd love to have a small amount of paid time off (in addition to usual annual leave) to do some lengthy travel for example. I can't see why we can't have access to something similar if you haven't used any maternity benefit by a certain point.

There would obviously be benefits for society & business from developing new skills, morale etc. As well as women in work contributing to economy and through taxation.

So,

YABU - Women who choose not to have children shouldn't be entitled to anything else

YANBU - Women should be able to claim a small amount of extra paid time off if they stay in a career and contribute to business and societies success

@ThirtyThreeTrees because it's not a 'break'.

This poster stated maternity leave is to look after a newborn

not always the case

People who lose a child at 7 get hardly any time off as compassionate leave as a comparison.

Shall we also be entitled to pay sick similar to those that take long breaks for health reasons as we are healthy and don’t take that time off work to travel around the world , stay at home chilling etc ?

No because you used your optional leave to have a baby. Your choice, freely made.

Well with the cost of living crisis there has been an increase in abortions. So that will bring the birth rate down.

Sorry should have quoted.

Because maternity leave is not a 'break'.

What about the men and women who take parental leave when they don’t have a newborn at all.

you can still have your full allowance if you lost a child after 24 weeks.

Which is a lot more than most get for compassionate leave.

What about them indeed? Not sure where you’re going with that one @MeganCrossing but it feels like a dodgy and uncomfortable road to be travelling down to get there.

Nope

maybe you can read comments properly next time

A poster stated (wrongly) maternity leave is to look after a newborn. Not always the case

That’s fucking awful and I’m so sorry.

And if there was the option, you could have had it!

Yes and that's extremely shit.

A lot of maternity leave time is to recover physically and emotionally.

If you bothered to read the comment I was replying to, all would be revealed

I don’t disagree that more can be done to support situations like this - I went through similar with my mum.

It just isn’t comparable though.

And I was able to take sick leave.

Nor is having a HG pregnancy that leaves 2/3 of women bedbound for the entirety of their pregnancy and leaves 75% of women with long term health implications that take years to recover from and often never fully recover. Pregnancy is, for many women, horrendous for their health and has debilitating long-term implications for a lot of people. Maternity care is disgracefully poor in this country. YABU.

Not everyone needs to recover emotionally and physically.

On that side of things I agree with the OP.

for some women it is akin to a holiday.

But she was being feted while I was taking care of a sad, scared dying mum and at risk of losing my livelihood at the same time.

This language is just silly, she wasn't being 'feted'. She was taking the time she needed to care for a baby.

Of course there's room to improve carers leave, no one would deny that, but it's not an either or situation.

This is a joke right? You can't compare maternity leave to a long term travel. We are recovering. Some from surgery and post birth complications. Some from mental health crisis. While looking after a child. Which is so expensive on very little money. Especially right now during a cost of living crisis. I mean how can you compare. It's the least that can be done is to give mother's something back!

Those parents quite likely take sickness leave. A company with enhanced paternity leave will most likely have enhanced sickness leave as well.

every parent I know they’ve lost a baby haven’t taken a year off. They’re back early as they’d rather be at work than staying at home.

This is agree with - we should protect people while they take on important caring responsibilities. But it’s not what the OP is suggesting, she’s suggesting paid time off for travel for only childless women.

for some women it is akin to a holiday.

I've never met such a woman though, have you? The OP wants to go travelling. Not really an option for 99.9% of new mums.

My days.......maternity is not "time off"........ trust me!

I’m so sorry you had to go through that….your post explains why this equality and choice is so important.

Also you keep saying having children is a choice like it justifies anything. Plenty of things are a choice. Well, if you want to go travelling you could save your money and take some unpaid leave, that's a choice too.

And if things being a choice justify other people getting the same "advantages" as you put it, then maybe I should get six weeks of paid leave because some people choose to do dangerous sports and break a leg as a result of their choice and have 6 weeks of sick leave as a result.

So what's your suggestion? Means test it? If you have a jolly time then pay it back?

But then you would also have to have leave for men to go travelling.

So the only people who don’t get a free holiday are the ones who have to trash their bodies and careers by having a baby.

Nice one OP