Forum discusses finding a balance of work, family
Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008
Finding a balance between work and family has different meanings depending on the workplace. While some companies only offer the federally mandated 12 weeks of unpaid leave, others offer on-site child care, breast-feeding breaks and paid family leave.
A forum sponsored by the Washington County League of Women Voters on Wednesday examined some of the family work policies in Northwest Arkansas.
Moderated by Janine Parry, associate professor of political science at the University of Arkansas, the panel discussion focused on policies dealing with maternity leave and flexibility at the workplace for families.
Parry said the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 entitled employees to 12 workweeks of unpaid, jobprotected leave during a 12-month period for the purpose of childbirth, adoption or foster care; the care of a spouse, son, daughter or parent with a serious health condition; or a serious health condition of the employee.
While the act does not require employers to pay employees on leave, Parry said, some states are beginning to require paid family leave.
A New Jersey law, for instance, allows workers to take up to six weeks of paid leave to care for a newborn or sick relative. The benefit, up to $ 524 a week, will be paid for through employee contributions.
The contribution cost totals about $ 33 a year.
The New York State Legislature is considering a similar law that would allow up to 12 weeks of paid leave with benefits equal to half of the employee's weekly wages, up to $ 170 per week.
Besides New Jersey, California and Washington are the only two states to adopt paid family leave laws.
"Hopefully we'll see other states begin to emulate that," Parry said.
Parry said the United States lags behind other countries when it comes to providing mothers with paid leave.
According to the 2007 Work, Family and Equity Index, a study done by Harvard and McGill universities, of 173 countries studied, © offer guaranteed paid leave to pregnant women or new mothers. Ninety-eight of them offer 14 or more weeks of paid leave.
Those countries that don't provide paid leave for mothers include Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Swaziland and the United States.
While the United States does not guarantee paid leave for mothers, employers are trying to put policies in place.
Panelist Missy Leflar, Human Resources Division manager for the city of Fayetteville, said the city is now offering short-term disability insurance to cover a portion of a mother's salary while on maternity leave. The city also allows intermittent leave, Leflar said, which is not required under the Family and Medical Leave Act, and allows new parents to use their time off as it is convenient to them.
Bernice Hembre, owner of Terra Tots Natural Parenting, said employers should offer flexible hours, allowing new parents to compress hours or work from home part of the time to allow more time at home with the child. She also suggested companies create on-site child-care programs.
Cindy Paladino, corporate human resources manager for J. B. Hunt, said there is a "mothers' room"at the J. B. Hunt offices that allows women to discreetly schedule a time when they can use a breast pump during the workday in a comfortable setting.
Though not quite up to par with the 73 countries that provide paid breaks for breast-feeding or pumping, some states are beginning to adopt or expand policies aimed at meeting the needs of working families.
While the Family and Medical Leave Act only applies to workplaces of 50 or more employees, Parry said some states, such as Maine, Minnesota, Oregon and Vermont, are extending family-leave coverage to smaller employers.
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