Woman Claims She Deserves Maternity Leave Even Though She Has No Kids

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

No, it isn't.

"Discrimination is treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing is perceived to belong to rather than on individual merit."

Parental leave is granted on an individual basis.

Yes, its discrimination according to the definition of the word. The group, or category a person can belong to is parent/non-parent. Its similar to religious discrimination, since both are a choice. You could very much choose to be a christian, just like you can choose to be a parent. Its not contextual or anything of the sort. If parents are getting to leave (and thus do less work) earlier every day than non-parents, thats discrimination. Just the same as if a man or a woman receives more pay than the other. The choice here is based on whether you are a parent or not. Its NOT individual.

Its factually discrimination.

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Right. It's totally discrimination if a doctor gives a cancer patient morphine but refuses to give it to me because I'm stressed out and need a break.

That isn't equatable to this thread.

[Deleted]

again any distinction between people by definition buts you in a group

Yes, its discrimination according to the definition of the word. The group, or category a person can belong to is parent/non-parent. Its similar to religious discrimination, since both are a choice. You could very much choose to be a christian, just like you can choose to be a parent. Its not contextual or anything of the sort. If parents are getting to leave (and thus do less work) earlier every day than non-parents, thats discrimination. Just the same as if a man or a woman receives more pay than the other. The choice here is based on whether you are a parent or not. Its NOT individual.

Its factually discrimination.

Nope.

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[Canpinter]

Nope.

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so your saying people that wear hats and people that don't are not separate groups of people in regards to wearing hats?

[jimboa24]

Next, healthy people are going to demand that they be allowed to take their extended paid sick time off even if they aren't actually sick.

[Deleted]

so your saying people that wear hats and people that don't are not separate groups of people in regards to wearing hats?

People who aren't me are a group too, according to you then, I take it?

[jimboa24]

Yes, its discrimination according to the definition of the word. The group, or category a person can belong to is parent/non-parent. Its similar to religious discrimination, since both are a choice. You could very much choose to be a christian, just like you can choose to be a parent. Its not contextual or anything of the sort. If parents are getting to leave (and thus do less work) earlier every day than non-parents, thats discrimination. Just the same as if a man or a woman receives more pay than the other. The choice here is based on whether you are a parent or not. Its NOT individual.

Its factually discrimination

No, it isn't, because anyone can take maternity/paternity leave if they choose to have a child. If they choose not to have a child, then they are voluntarily not partaking in maternity/paternity leave. Maternity/paternity leave is not a paid vacation - it's a grace period to allow women and men to spend time with their new child, which as a parent, I can attest that it is absolutely NOT a vacation. Being a parent, especially of a newborn, is a lot of work and you miss out on a lot of sleep. You're basically taking time off from a job that doesn't pay for a job that does.

Only a complete and utter idiot who knows jack shit about parenting would look at maternity/paternity leave and go, "it's not faaaaaaair, why do they get to take a vacation and I don't???"

Like I alluded to above, maternity/paternity leave is more comparable to sick time; time you take off that is paid for either fully or partially so that you can take care of yourself and recover from an illness. If you're not sick, then you don't take it. But it's not "discrimination" if someone who is ill is allowed sick time off and someone who is healthy but just wants time off is denied it.

[Canpinter]

People who aren't me are a group too, according to you then, I take it?

they are a group tho you personal are not a group as you need more then one person to be a group.

[Deleted]

they are a group tho you personal are not a group as you need more then one person to be a group.

Yeah, no. That's just a ridiculous usage of "group".

[unfilteredJW]

No, it isn't, because anyone can take maternity/paternity leave if they choose to have a child. If they choose not to have a child, then they are voluntarily not partaking in maternity/paternity leave. Maternity/paternity leave is not a paid vacation - it's a grace period to allow women and men to spend time with their new child, which as a parent, I can attest that it is absolutely NOT a vacation. Being a parent, especially of a newborn, is a lot of work and you miss out on a lot of sleep. You're basically taking time off from a job that doesn't pay for a job that does.

Only a complete and utter idiot who knows jack shit about parenting would look at maternity/paternity leave and go, "it's not faaaaaaair, why do they get to take a vacation and I don't???"

Like I alluded to above, maternity/paternity leave is more comparable to sick time; time you take off that is paid for either fully or partially so that you can take care of yourself and recover from an illness. If you're not sick, then you don't take it. But it's not "discrimination" if someone who is ill is allowed sick time off and someone who is healthy but just wants time off is denied it.

So you choose to get sick?

[Kezotar]

How mean. xD

It's not mean. She is fat.
People call kids autists every day without caring.

Just because you're fat doesn't mean your special. Lose some weight.
Oh I'm fat because I love my body. I hope you pay your own healthcare then.

[Canpinter]

Yeah, no. That's just a ridiculous usage of "group".

Simple Definition of group
: a number of people or things that are together or in the same place
: a number of people who are connected by some shared activity, interest, or quality
: a number of things that are related in some way
Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

fits definition 2 and 3 pretty well id say

[Lenonis]

This probably has been brought up already but I'm late to the thread and don't have time to catch up...

The whole concept about maternity leave bothers me. I totally get it from a societal level and how it's good for bonding with the child but as a man who doesn't plan on having children it just seems a little wonky.

I always thought it would be better to have some sort of system, in addition to vacation, that provides for a periodic more extended leave of absence that you can use for either a sabbatical type situation or child rearing.

How it gets implemented is a good question. Doesn't make sense to have it be annual as that would be too expensive and challenging for the business owners -- but maybe once every three years or so? If a couple has children more frequently than that they would need to figure something out.

I do think there is a bit of unfairness in the leeway and flexibility shown parents -- but it's understandable. I just don't really understand why the flexibility and benefits can't be extended, at least partially, to those good workers who don't have children.

[jimboa24]

So you choose to get sick?

No, but sick time is available to anyone who gets sick, just like maternity/paternity leave is available to anyone who has a child. It's not vacation time. It's time that serves a specific purpose, and is separate from vacation time, which is specifically for exactly what the woman in the OP wants.

[AndaliteBandit]

I see this argument a lot from both men and women.

It's not fair, why don't I get a vacation?

You can try to tell them that maternity and paternity leave are medical leave and family leave, but they don't care.

It's still a vacation! I once went on a vacation that wasn't fun too!

[Felrane]

We can all be thankful she isn't breeding.

[Hammerfest]

Do you feel it's normal to do overwork when you don't have any "social" excuse ?

It's not "overwork" just because someone else does less.

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Well she does - Your are both employed to work 8 hours - every minute she gets of for personal reasons is an minute you have to work extra.

No she doesn't. Just because someone else gets some time off doesn't mean you're being punished because you are still working a regular shift.

[Lenonis]

It's not "overwork" just because someone else does less.

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No she doesn't. Just because someone else gets some time off doesn't mean you're being punished because you are still working a regular shift.

This would only be true if you don't have to work extra to pick up the slack left by others.

Or, another way to look at it is if Jane and Bob have the same salaried job and Jane leaves early to pick up her kids and then takes maternity leave and it averages out that she's only working 35 hours a week and Bob works 40 and is not allowed to work less then Bob's time is paid less than Jane's.

Hence my comment that the flexibility for work hours should be universal, not dependent on whether or not it's childcare related.

[unfilteredJW]

No, but sick time is available to anyone who gets sick, just like maternity/paternity leave is available to anyone who has a child. It's not vacation time. It's time that serves a specific purpose, and is separate from vacation time, which is specifically for exactly what the woman in the OP wants.

So terrible analogy. Roger.

[Xisa]

She got a point in a way. not on the maternity leave, but on being expected to do more hours than people with kids. Actually that's a punchline I tell to my managers when I'm expected for no reason to do more hours : « Sorry, I have kids, house, you know, I must go. » Indeed they know I don't have kids, but what can you tell ?

No, she does not have a point.

Anyone who thinks taking care of an infant is a "vacation" is immeasurably vapid and clueless.

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We can all be thankful she isn't breeding.

Yeah, I'll quote that.

[Bryntrollian]

[I]
Jesus, and women wonder why they on average earn less? Here's proof: This woman spends her work day complaining and plotting on how to do less work.

Careful or you might alert the horde.