A few months ago, Nev Schulman and his fiancée Laura Perlongo, made a video drawing attention to the flawed parental leave America has. Within the past year, it was discovered that the United States is one of the last developed countries when it comes to parental leave, according to an article published by Pew Research Center. In 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act was created. This law allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family and medical reasons, having a child is included in this job-protecting law.
According to the Department of Labor's website, it states that only 12 percent of people have access to paid leave. With only having 12 weeks off for leave, many mothers find themselves going back to work much earlier than the amount of time given. “Nearly 1 in 4 employed mothers return to work within two weeks of childbirth,” according to a study conducted by In These Times.
There are many benefits to paid parental leave for both the child and mother. The first few months of the child’s life are crucial bonding time between the two, as Forbes' article states, “Research has linked paid maternity leave to better health for mothers and babies- lower rates of postpartum depression and newborn and infant mortality and higher rates of breastfeeding and childhood immunizations.” In a CNN article, they mention the same benefits but also include long-term benefits, like a decrease in depression after 50-years-old. Parental leave also affects the child in the long run.
Going back to work sooner has impacted some children negatively, according to a study by Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, “Maternal employment during a child’s first year appeared to negatively affect subsequent cognitive test scores and was associated with increases in behavioral problems.”
In the video featuring MTV’s Catfish host Nev Schulman and his fiancée, Laura Perlongo, they also discuss the importance of fathers taking time off of work to stay with their newborns. Schulman brings up the point that men on average only receive about a week to women’s average of 106 days. They also bring up how crucial it is for fathers to spend time with their children during the first few months. Like the benefits mothers experience, having a father stay at home has some benefits as well. “Researchers in Norway found that paternity leave actually enhances a child’s performance in secondary school,” said Perlongo.
While getting a paid maternity leave is already an issue in the United States, parental leave is even bigger. There is a stigma that surrounds new fathers staying home for a little while to take of their child. Though it’s rare in America to find a paid parental leave, in a country where men can take a paid leave they usually don’t because of judgments.
There’s still a stigma about men being the ‘breadwinners’ and having to take care of their families. In the video, they mention that a man is more likely to take a leave if they know someone else who took it. Bonding is just as important for the fathers as it is for the mothers.
The United States is the only developed country that doesn’t offer paid leave for parents. President Obama is trying to change maternity leave laws. The bill, which is included in the fiscal 2017 budget, would give federal workers six weeks of paid administrative leave after the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. “Family leave. Child care. Flexibility. These aren’t frills, they are basic needs,” said President Obama in his weekly address in 2014. We need paid parental leave.
