Paternity Leave

Purple said:
So you think that the state should foot the bill. Is that correct?
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The state already foots the bill, but only for a feeble length of time for maternity leave and nothing atall for paternity leave. The amount that the state currently pays is in and around the same as what you would get on unemployment benefit as far as I know.

This time last year there was a big moan about creche fees which parents are "forced" to pay since both have to work. The reaction was to give 1K p/a for each child, basically to shut them up. The basic issue was ignored. There should be proper parental leave, not the token amount currently provided.

We pay taxes for a reason, whether it's to provide decent roads, education, healthcare, old age care or care for new born children. The extent that we pay is determined by what we want to pay for. Like I said, no political party or interest group seem to see this as a major issue, so I guess it isn't.

So in summary, yes.
 
I agree with you then but do consider the impact that both maternity and paternity leave has on small businesses. Many companies with a few employees simply can’t cope with a key person buggering off for 24 weeks and so don’t hire women of childbearing age for those jobs. I’m not saying it’s right or that I agree with it but that’s the way it is. The same would apply to a lesser extent for men if the prospect of 2 weeks leave in the event of a child being born were there.
If the government was really interested in levelling the playing field for parents (and mothers in particular) then they would not only pay full wages on maternity leave but would pay the employer to replace the employee who was off (as short term staff are more expensive and will need to be trained in).
 
Ssssshhh, softly softly catchie monkey. Little steps first. Didn't your mother ever tell you, ask for too much and you'll get nothing.
 
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