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

YABU - to think women on mat leave get 'time off'
YABU - to think only women without children should have time off - everyone should. Women with or without children, Men with or without children

Had OP said when you work all your life, there should be paid GOV break for all people to take 6 months off, then that would be debated and likely "why would Gov pay that- it's called unpaid sabbatical or taking a career break to go travelling" (that people without other caring responsibilities and nothing holding back their careers like umm working part time .. are more likely to be able to save up for )

But she didn't , she said regarding some women with babies having paid Mat Leave
. 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.

Bizarrely entitled, illogical and discriminatory thinking
It's quite right that OP has been handed her a** back by majority of PPs!!

YANBU. Having a family is a lifestyle choice, and everyone should be able to have the ability to have some time off for their own lifestyle choice. As PP said, let everyone have a six month sabbatical and choose what they want to do with it - have a kid, travel, lounge in your PJs.

To the poster with £86k during her maternity leave. Try only getting £6k and depending on benefit top ups instead. Maybe then see that you can't Swan off on holidays etc. Especially during the current COL crisis!

I spent my maternity leave with crippling post natal depression and didn't leave the house. YABU to want the same to go on a jolly. Having babies isn't a holiday. Regardless what many think.

I think unpaid sabbaticals should be commoner. It's a nice thing to do and a year would be a good opportunity to give a younger member of staff a chance to get some experience taking on a slightly more senior role by taking over for a while.

I don't think they should be paid like parental leave, though. We have parental leave that's paid in recognition of the fact that anyone who is planning to get old some day will benefit from the fact that other people have had children--otherwise your pension won't be funded, you won't be able to sell your house if necessary, there won't be any care staff to take care of you etc.

Re caring for elderly parents--I'm pretty sure some companies/countries do have various forms of "care leave."

This is a wind up isn’t it?
You aren’t seriously suggesting mat leave is discriminatory to those who don’t get to take it. On mumsnet?!

Yeah right OP how many women would take the piss and announce they are pregnant after already having this time?! This entitling themselves to double the leave of actual parents 😂 it would be a literal nightmare for employers!

There is a distinct whiff of troll about for sure.

If you don't have children, then you have fewer expenses, so perhaps you could save up and ask for a few months unpaid leave.
I've known people get sabbaticals even where there was no established policy, so it's worth asking.

I think you'd have to wait until you're quite a bit older for an "in lieu of maternity leave" arrangement, as they are legally obliged to allow maternity/adoption leave if you subsequently get pregnant or adopt. You might be sure that's not going to be an issue in your case, but the employer can't be sure, particularly if it were to be a general policy.

I think you'd have to wait until you're quite a bit older for an "in lieu of maternity leave" arrangement, as they are legally obliged to allow maternity/adoption leave if you subsequently get pregnant or adopt

What about paid sabbaticals for the over 50 and childless? That should pretty much eliminate this issue. Would have given me something to look forward to in my childless years.

Not necessarily. It depends on your salary, your other commitments and whether or not you are paying a mortgage on your own.
Are you honestly saying childless people are generally better off than people with children?
That's a bit of a sweeping statement.

Very few.

OP's idea is stupid and unworkable. It wouldn't go down well on any forum. HTH

Nobody has accused OP of wanting to remove maternity leave from mothers. Stop being a drama llama.

No one said it was.

Some of us are making the point that workers struggling with elderly and ill parents deserve more support from their workplaces and stronger policies around carers leave. No one said this should be instead of maternity leave.

What about paid sabbaticals for the over 50 and childless?

And that would be discriminating against those with children.

Why are parents to be excluded from these sabbaticals? Do they not want to travel or explore their hobbies too?

Stop comparing Mat leave to sabbaticals. By all means campaign for sabbaticals but they shouldn't be in the same conversation as maternity leave.

Stop comparing Mat leave to sabbaticals. By all means campaign for sabbaticals but they shouldn't be in the same conversation as maternity leave.

I’m not, it’s other people saying “just ask for a sabbatical”.

So what would happen if women have children but didn't take maternity leave? Would they still be able to have the leave? And obviously what about men?

Yes, although I used to work with someone who said this kind of thing. She had a lot more sick leave than I had had maternity leave too.

But the point of maternity leave was to recover from the pregnancy and childbirth according to some on here? Are you saying not all women need it for this reason?

yeah, I can see you don't have children 😁Maternity leave is not time off for lengthy travel. It's being sleep deprived and having no time to have a cup of tea.

You can always quit your job and take some time to travel.

It would be nice if everyone got day 6 months paid to go and have a jolly. But I doubt it would be financially viable for the vast majority of employers to facilitate.

yes, you choose to have kids (most of the time). But may leave is not free time to do whatever you fancy. And while yes it is a choice, if no one had kids we’d pretty soon be screwed. So people so need to have them so that the human race continues.

ask for a sabbatical if you want to travel.

yes, you choose to have kids (most of the time). But may leave is not free time to do whatever you fancy. And while yes it is a choice, if no one had kids we’d pretty soon be screwed. So people so need to have them so that the human race continues.

We’d soon be screwed if everyone had children too. We need a balance, not more and more people having children.

We do need a balance but arguably we don't need fertility rates to decrease in the UK. I think it is quite low now.