FEDERALLY MANDATE PAID MATERNITY LEAVE

The United States is the only high-income country to not have paid maternity leave. Currently only 51% of mothers return to work within 4 months following the birth of a child. The Family and Medical Leave Act doesn’t require employers to offer paid maternity leave. Mothers who don’t get paid maternity leave are more likely to give up breastfeeding early, delay childhood immunizations, and experience financial hardship. Many countries give new fathers paid time off or allow parents to share paid leave. The International Labor Organization standards state that women should be guaranteed at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave. The World Health Organization recommends at least 6 months of breastfeeding. All mothers should have the right to paid maternity leave for each child.