While high-end firms that employ the most well-educated and well-paid U.S. workers compete in a benefits arms race, too many working women are forced to skimp or skip out on maternity leave because of the United States lack of paid leave policy, a new analysis of data from the Department of Labor makes clear.
Nearly 1 in 4 new mothers surveyed by the department in 2012 were back at work within just two weeks of having a new baby, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at Abt Associates for an investigative feature in In These Times , published Tuesday morning.
The researchers looked at a survey of 2,852 workers who took leave in 2012, honing in on the 93 women who took time off to care for a new baby. Of those women, nearly 12 percent took a week or less; another 11 percent took between one and two weeks off, according to the analysis. Among college graduates, longer leaves ruled the day: Eighty percent of the women who took at least six weeks leave had a degree. Only 54 percent of women without a degree were able to do so.
"Talking to women in this situation was just heartbreaking," journalist Sharon Lerner, author of the In These Times piece and a senior fellow at Demos, told reporters on a conference call Tuesday afternoon. A full-time waitress working more than 60 hours a week told Lerner that when her son was just 4 weeks old, she would come home exhausted and sleep with one hand on her baby because that's the only connection she could get.
The report highlights the gaping rift between the countrys have and have-not parents. This year, a growing number of companies that employ mostly well-educated white-collar workers have beefed up their leave benefits, including Adobe, Microsoft, Nestle, Vodafone, Goldman Sachs and Blackstone.
"The highest-paid workers are most likely to have [paid leave]," writes Lerner in the piece. "More than 1 in 5 of the top 10 percent of earners are getting paid family leave, compared to 1 in 20 in the bottom quartile."
The U.S. is the only major country on the globe that offers no paid time off for new mothers, placing a terrible burden on these women, their families and the country.
The consequences of returning to work so soon are devastating for new mothers and their families -- economically, emotionally and physically. Mothers who return to work so early are plagued with depression and less likely to breastfeed their children. Their children can suffer developmentally, the feature notes. Researchers have even found a correlation between the amount of leave a new mother takes and infant mortality rates. Those forced to quit their jobs often turn to public benefits that are scarce and stingily doled out.
The In These Times piece shines a heartbreaking light on what happens when these women return to work too soon.
One mother opens up about crying in the parking lot, on a break from a 12-hour factory shift, as she pumps milk for her infant. A Chase bank manager said she was forced to quit her job because she needed to take a 12-week leave to care for her premature infant.
Just last week, another Wall Street firm announced what Bloomberg News called a gilded perk for new mothers. Private equity firm KKR & Co. said it would pay for nannies to travel with new mothers and their babies. The firm, founded by billionaires Henry Kravis and George Roberts, also upped the amount of leave it gives KKR parents from 12 weeks to 16 weeks, and started a transition support program to reintegrate new parents returning from leave.
Meanwhile, the Family Act , a bill that would offer federally mandated paid leave to new parents, has so far gone nowhere in Congress. However, the two leading Democratic presidential candidates support it, and some Republicans are even starting to come around on the issue.
As Lerner points out, it's hard to argue against the strong moral case in favor of paid leave, to which there is no politically sound retort: Families need paid time off to take care of their new babies. Men, women and children will gain from this basic human dignity."
This story has been updated to include a quote from Sharon Lerner.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make even as little as $2 goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPost Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.