Why the US Needs Paid Parental Leave | Anna Steffeney | TEDxSanJuanIsland

The positive health and economic outcomes of paid parental leave are undeniable, yet America remains one of four countries in the world without national paid parental leave laws.

Drawing on science and her personal experience as a working mother, Anna demonstrates why it is imperative the United States pass a paid family leave law, and explores how policy and technology can work together to improve the lives of working families.

Anna Steffeney is a passionate entrepreneur focused on improving the experience and lives for working families. After the birth of her two children—one born in Europe, the second born in the United States—the glaring difference in parental leave policies prompted Anna to launch LeaveLogic, a Seattle-based technology company that delivers a parental leave management platform to Fortune 1000 companies.

[patriciamichaels]

Mothers in America struggle .... they hide this if they can, but the reality is our Nation suffers when we devalue family and our newborns. As a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse I have seen first hand how families struggle. The statistics are discouraging.... I was shocked to find out how much we penalize women for having United States has failed to step up and embrace what we say we value.

[amiukey]

I am so happy I am not an american going by most of the comments here. Surely the policies are important for mothers but lack of empathy among americans is so utterly disturbing! I only have one question to you, would you like it that none of the women in America have children? So that they can live their lives comfortably? And when your presently young population ages in some 20-30 years and u have no young workforce to care for you, what will you do?

[seekingpeace]

In the US, if you are an educated woman with a professional job; you will not get paid anything, or any financial assistance with daycare. If you are educated and work full time, the only way you can take time to have a baby is if you have either family member who is willing to take care of your child, or if you have a spouse who can support you. Daycare can not be paid for by a single mother. In the US, most daycare if MORE than a mortgage. People don't understand that right now, the main women in the US who are having chidren, are not highly educated, do not have professional jobs, and are mostly on benefits; and that is because they are the only ones who CAN have a child and do not have to worry about daycare. Most of them qualify for subsidized daycare, and if you are not working, you have nothing to lose. US Govt is not realizing what type of "next generation" they are actually creating if most of the children in our next generation (not all) are coming from severely undereducated parents who are not in the work force. Only a small percentage of children have two parents who both can together pay for the daycare.

[SmashBrosBrawl]

at 7:10
Lets show a map of the states with the highest homeless per capita rates.

[bip]

This first map is amazing. I am wandering when it was made or how „industrialized” was measured, because it leaves some EU countries out…

[collinaitcheson]

I live in Seattle and both of my parents had paid leave. mom got a year and dad got 3 months but didn't use all 3. Dad works for microsoft but mom was a manager at a local resturant. I have two friends whose parents didnt have paid leave. So i kinda don't know what she is talking about BUT i do understand

[michelebella]

And why, exactly, is the United States considered the best place to live and raise your children? It seems we have the worst childcare practices, pay rate, cost of housing, job/home life balance, and healthcare, and we're diving headfirst into authoritarianism, yet we act like America is like the Disneyland of the world. Most people haven't even taken a vacation in years because they can't afford to, let alone be able to enjoy what is supposed to be a wonderful time of becoming a parent because they can't afford to take time off to bond with their child and when they go back to work, they can't afford childcare because it costs more than a lot of parents make in an entire week. Don't get me wrong, I love being born and raised in the US, but we certainly don't have the best of anything here compared to countries like Australia, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, and Canada.

[XONXRaptor]

I'm pretty sure South Sudan should be in black I don't know they might have paid maternity leave to their soldiers

[bennettlane]

Can someone explain why you would pay someone not to work? (I'm actually curious)

[pourattitude]

A couple of things here concern me.
While in Germany, she says her maternity leave was paid for by government stipend. Here in the US it is being argued that an employer should be held responsible for paying maternity leave. Not at all reasonably acceptable. Wildly inappropriate.
Also
She glossed over the implied future hardships of her "apprentice" as well. Is this other person supposed to just accept firing upon her return from leave? Or will the employer be forced to now pay 2 people for the work of one? It is pretty clear that the offered one year maternity leave is not written in stone. She can return to work at any time earlier. How is this at all fair for her replacement? How could they expect any job stability?

[stewardappiagyei]

Mandate, mandate, mandate... Yet the US is is a free market country. And work and childbirth are choices.

[peteranon]

If you leave your job for three years, you simply are less committed than your colleagues who did work those three years, all perception aside.

[michaelwoodall]

Economics don't agree with your feelings.

[tubuck]

The reason the USA has the best software firms is because they don't have paid paternity leave.

[aquastudio]

So just because you and your man have moment of 10-15 minutes, now the company has to suffer after 9 months. First they have to pay you, then arrange a replacement and train and pay him/her and your colleagues has to clear the work mess.

Pick you damn sacrifice people !

[familyguyostrich]

Having a child is a choice, so technically your employer shouldn’t have to pay for you to leave to take care of your kid.

[evanstephens]

I love how this whole thing is about how parenthood is a struggle so great that now people can abdicate their responsibility to provide for their family and let the government do it.
You mean if we pay for every woman in America to have paid maternity leave that they are statistically proven to be slightly less depressed? Im sure that’s financially viable and we will see the returns on that investment. 🙄
Parenthood being hard doesn’t mean that it’s suddenly the governments job to fulfill the role of an extra spouse in providing for your child.

[kevin]

Move to another country. Problem solved.

[donotcare]

It is NOT an employers job to pay for your choices and life style. Including YOUR health. If you want money. You show up and work. If you want FMLA time off. Fine. But We aren't paying you to be a brood sow. and same for daddy. They can show up and work or be let go of. Oh and if does go into law. Just think. Employers will find ANY reason and I MEAN any reason to fire you afterwards and make certain to blacklist you.. Good luck finding a job after the fact. people these days. A bunch of entitled pricks thinking they should get free money.