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

I really don't this should be pitching mothers against non mothers. Lots of us were not mothers before we were, after years of working to build a career. I do think the point is maternity pay gives mothers a level playing field in the workplace so they can still compete with men. Because women have babies, not men. It's a great thing for all of us.

you can just stand outside for 5min, no smoking necessary

I literally have no idea why you’re asking me this when I’ve now said twice that I DO support it, and have made no proposals or comments which suggest I want to penalise mums. I can’t speak for other women.

@HerMajestysRoyalCoven because you said this ...Time away from the workplace to pursue something that you’ve chosen to do, then. Jesus Christ.

@NicolaSixSix but nobody smokes anymore! They vape! Which isn't quite the same 😀

I’m aghast to read such anti- maternity pay views on a parenting forum.

Such a lack of oversight of how our society is structured and functions.

I have worked for NHS, had 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay with each maternity leave. I think it should have been fully paid for 6 months, like most European countries.

society should support parents more, not less, FFS

I am a primary school teacher in Australia. I don't know how it is in other states, but where I am you get Long Service Leave after 10 years with one employer (I'm also in a govt job so don't know about other employers). You get 3 months full paid leave or 6 months half pay. I got to 13 years hoping to one day travel with this time, but when I returned to work my bub kept getting sick at daycare so for the first 5 weeks I was 'back at work' I had to have almost half of the time off, and then my Dad passed away so I used in the ln to defer going back to work until June, and spent most of that looking after my bub who seemed to catch every virus going and all got COVID at one point.
We are so lucky and I am so grateful to have that system here, I think I would have a total breakdown otherwise!

And my point was - you're clearly aggrieved about people (women) choosing to take time form the workplace to have children. But as I said, it's only women who can have children.

I’m struggling to see what part of that description is false or unsupportive. Maternity leave is a time away from one’s workplace for a purpose that is (generally) desirable to the woman pursuing it. I honestly think you’re trying very hard to find me offensive and it’s baffling.

(The Jesus Christ was an exasperation as the person who responded to me was nitpicking.)

LOL.
Mat leave isn’t really a benefit, it’s a right. it would be discriminating to not want to pay your employees for the time off they need to birth and raise a small human. So its not like they have some special privilege.

What you’re after is a sabbatical. But they are harder to obtain… because its a ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘necessity’..

I’m… really not. But I’m done with the discussion as it’s quite clear you’re determined to perceive me in that way regardless of what I say.

@HerMajestysRoyalCoven well what you said seemed entirely straightforward to me.

What if someone got pregnant by accident? Could she have her paid holiday as well then?

@HerMajestysRoyalCoven but you
Literally said (in implication of replying to another comment) that you (women) shouldn't get paid when they've chosen to leave the workplace to have children. Which I disagree with.

The purpose of maternity leave is to allow a mother time to recover from childbirth and for parents to bond and care for the baby.
Many workplaces offer sabbaticals. Whilst your workplace may well offer a generous package, most are conditional on the parent returning and staying with the company for a period of time.
Some offer tapered payments qnd many only pay stat payments.

I’ve said no such thing and I’ve no desire to keep discussing this with you.

Time away from the workplace to pursue something that you’ve chosen to do, then.

But that isn’t the purpose, purpose is to care for a newborn baby. Maternity leave is much more for the benefit of the baby than a benefit to the mother to ‘pursue something they have chosen to do’.

Does the same apply to compassionate leave? Luckily my parents have never died, so I"ve never had the "benefit" of this paid time off. I hope that situation stays the same for my entire working life. My colleague had 3 days compassionate leave when her father died, then the same again a few years later when her mother died. Do you think for one minute that I might feel I am somehow entitled to paid time off in lieu of taking compassionate leave?? It is no different to what you are suggesting.

@HerMajestysRoyalCoven but you did! This is what you said in response to 'maternity leave is not time off:'Time away from the workplace to pursue something that you’ve chosen to do, then. Jesus Christ.

Nobodtpy is against maternity pay. Don’t be ridiculous.

I would have loved if my husband had chosen to have children rather than me. Sadly he didn't.

I see the OP hasn't returned to their post today. Hopefully that means they're busy asking their employer for a paid sabbatical or looking for a new employer who does offer such benefits.
I also note that some of last night's frequent and more contentious posters have name changed this evening.

@Basecamp

there must be some fun and nice bits to it otherwise why would anyone do it??

Hmm! It's been very interesting.

Because kids aren't babies forever and you have to get through the baby stage to get to the good bits?

I'm not a baby person despite being very pro kids in general. I love kids. But babies are stressful.