The state of maternity leave in the United States is a disgrace. The only protection for women is FMLA, and companies smaller than 50 employees do not have to offer it. Moreover, FMLA is unpaid, and women's salaries are often needed to keep their families afloat. The United States is one of the only countries in the world not to guarantee paid maternity leave: countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China all offer it. We need to end the war on families and women, and recognize that society has a vested interest in having a healthy next generation of workers and tax-paying citizens. Paid, long maternity leaves have been shown over and over to be beneficial for both mothers and babies, resulting in higher immunization rates and better health. That's a good thing for everyone.



