In the US, paid parental leave is considered a benefit provided by employers. The US is actually the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity or parental leave to workers. And that’s odd, because the evidence is very clear: Paid parental leave can have a significant positive effect on the health of children and mothers. For example, paid parental leave can reduce infant mortality by as much as 10%. Also, women who took longer than 12 weeks maternity leave reported fewer depressive symptoms, a reduction in severe depression and an improvement in their overall mental health. In addition, it is known that fathers who take paternity leave of 10 days or longer are more involved with their children and with child care activities than men who take no leave. So it makes a lot of sense for politicians to support more extensive paid parental leave laws, in the US, as well as in any other country.
Paid parental leave has significant positive effect on health children and mothers
More of Today's Solutions
Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation regains ancestral lands near Yosemite in major c...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Nearly 900 acres of ancestral territory have been officially returned to the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, marking a ...
Read More8 fermented foods that your gut will love (and that taste great, too!)
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Fermented foods have been a dietary staple in many cultures for centuries, but in the U.S., they’re only ...
Read MoreBreaking the silence: empowering menopausal women in the workplace
Addressing menopause in the workplace is long overdue in today's fast-changing work scene, where many are extending their careers into their 60s. According to ...
Read MoreInsect migration: the hidden superhighway of the Pyrenees
Insects, while frequently disregarded, are critical to the planet's ecosystems. They make up about 90 percent of all animal species and play important functions ...
Read More
