Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Politics In Real Life: Paid Family Leave A Big Concern, Not A Top Campaign Issue

Nancy Glynn, 27, called it her "NICU diet," but it wasn't about weight loss. It was about financial survival.

When her son, Hunter, was born two months premature he was 2 pounds, 10 ounces and fighting for his life. Hunter was in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, for more than a month.

The "diet" comes in because Glynn, a waitress, couldn't afford to buy meals in the hospital cafeteria. In large part, that's because that whole time she was out of work, she wasn't getting paid and — because Hunter was premature — she and her husband hadn't had as much time to save up.

"I thought I had some paid leave," said Glynn. "And then I started looking through my employee handbooks, and I was going, 'Wait a minute. No, I don't.'"

More

What's your thoughts on paid family leave?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

ALL benefits should be at the option of the employer.
There is no 'right' to any of them, nor is there a right to have or keep the actual job itself (sorry unions..)

Market forces are powerful. Competition for labor is the most powerful agent for positive change.

Anonymous said...

i have mixed feelings.
its not really sustainable for small business.

and sometimes you have women leave for maternity, then decide not to come back, seen it.

and no i dont think it should be a gov program.

there is always a 6 month layoff, and use the unemployment system that already exists

or the possibility of carry insurance similar to disability.

it has to be a system that cannot be abused

Anonymous said...


"Market forces are powerful. Competition for labor is the most powerful agent for positive change.

May 3, 2016 at 9:24 AM"

9:24 Gets it. All these small business killing policies are dreamed up by big business to eliminate competition.

Anonymous said...

Negotiating for compensation when hiring on is very important here, especially if you're a young woman approaching child bearing age. But, not all employers can afford such things. 9:24 is right, and a deal is a deal.