Society is slowly changing to accommodate the needs and wants of working moms. Paid parental leaves are a part of that change.
According to The Age, women with children aged zero to four are more likely to work part-time than men. 79 percent of female GPs and 65 percent of female specialists work fewer hours than their male counterparts.
It was also noted that most women believe that their employment is restricted by a lack of access to childcare. Gender inequality, although long considered taboo, is still present in the workplace.
Both men and women are expected to do their work responsibilities well. However, society may still be imposing on working moms to also stay on top of things at home.
"Things are changing, but not quickly enough," the website wrote. "Government policy, despite talk about increasing female labor-force participation, does little, and often even seems to act counter-productively, by maintaining policies that encourage women to become stay-at-home mums, such as Family Tax Benefit part B, which penalizes the secondary earner on return to work."
Paid parental leaves are having quite a positive impact on working moms. Current policy reviews, though, may weaken its success.
Seattle Times noted that paid parental leaves are also gaining support. The U.S. election 2016 presidential race has given the benefit much publicity.
Paid parental leave will not only benefit working moms - it is good for all workers and even employers. There are gender restrictions on men, too, in terms of caring for their kids.
Employers need to empower new parents. This will benefit working moms, dads, and employers in the long term.
Easing up on work arrangements by creating custom or compressed schedules or telecommuting can enable employees to balance being a worker and parent more. Robert Sinclair, a Clemson University psychology professor, shared the benefits in store when these policies are instated.
"You will have a more engaged workforce and better retention," Sinclair said. "There is a growing body of research relating work-family conflict to health."
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