Should women be paid while on maternity leave?

What is your opinion?

Should women be paid while on maternity leave?
I get paid for my maternity leave through EI, government employment insurance. EI deducts money from my pay each and every cheque as long as I am working.


This money is used as employment insurabce, if I loose my job I can apply for it and recieve benefits to help get by untill I can find another job. EI is there if I get sick and cannot work..etc..etc.. EI is there so that I have some financial support while I am raising my baby during its first year.


I pay into it therefore I am entitled to recieve it during my Mat leave.


Every woman should have some kind of finacial compensation after the birth of her baby. Not forever but at least for 6 months if not a year.
Reply:It sure would be nice. I also think that the hubby should get 'maternity leave" as well in order to help out with the baby.
Reply:nope. no way. women should not be paid when on maternity leave. it would be hard to seperate the women who really want to have a baby from the ones (like a girl at my work) who just get knocked up just to stay out of work! sounds mean I know but I really do know someone who does that. and unfortunatley, there is always one that would ruin it for everyone else.
Reply:I THINK THAT ALL WOMAN THAT ARE MOTHERS SHOULD BE PAID FROM THE TIME THEY HAVE KIDS TI'LL THE TIME THEY GO TO SCHOOL THAT WAY YOU CAN BE A MOM AND NOT HAVE ANY REGRETS AND WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL CAN START OFF ON A PART TIME JOB AND ALSO SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED TO KNOW YOU KID AND THE KID CAN KNOW YOU !!!
Reply:yes i think they should. some jobs offer paid maternity leave but you only can be on leave for like 6 weeks. But my sister is on maternity leave right now and they said she can have up to 3 months. but she doesnt get paid!
Reply:depends what country they are in. i live in australia where most of the time its not paid, but we recieve enough money from the government to help with supporting our children untill we go back to work.
Reply:they usually are, aren't they?
Reply:yes. i feel it is apart of the whole home and work unit .family and work are considerably a big part of our everyday activities
Reply:It's up to the company whether or not they offer that benefit, which I think is a good system. It's just like vacation time or health coverage, some companies offer it and some don't. You can decide who you work for based on what they offer. I think it's really good when companies can offer that for their employees, male or female. My husband got paid paternity leave with his company, which offered all of us a chance to bond with our baby in the first month, and I think that's important. Ultimately, it's your choice. You can work for companies that don't offer maternity leave if you don't care about that benefit.
Reply:I didn't get paid for my maternity leave and it sure would have been nice, but my husband did get 2 weeks of paid paternity leave. I
Reply:So I take it you would be happier if she loses her job and you pay for her to be on welfare. Of course they should get paid. There needs to be some compensation for doing it all.
Reply:Some countries pay women to have children
Reply:I think there should be some kind of a government regualted maternity leave. I know of several people who have quit thier jobs and gone on welfare because they simply couldn't afford the unpaid leave from work. So maybe if the government came in and supplimented your income for a certain period of time, we would have less people on welfare.
Reply:I got paid when I was on my maternity leave. Why shouldn't they?
Reply:Of course!





Because men don't get pregnant and give birth to children and have to face missing work, but women do.
Reply:If nothing else, women should be given their social security credits. I never considered this until after I had been a full-time, stay-at-home mom for 5 years and received my Social Security Benefits Statement. Eye-opening, heart-sinking, gut-wrenching experience.


Later I read an article similar to the ones referenced below. Makes sense to me.
Reply:No


pregnancy is a personal choice
Reply:Well, it is a woman's choice to get pregnant not the company's so I agree with you.
Reply:Yes. Women do deserve to get paid while on maternity leave. First of all because, it will give them their income in hard times when they are taking care of the child. Second, maternity leave wont be paid fully, just some of it so thats okay. Third, women get discriminated a lot in jobs and get paid less than men and thats unfair!
Reply:If they can still perform their job duties while at home, then sure they should be paid. If not, then it's not fair to those who are working for their money. But if the boss is your baby's daddy....
Reply:ABSOLUTELY not. Pregnancy is a choice that shouldn't be paid for.
Reply:I know that most large employers offer maternity leave packages which is simply a leave of absence but no I don't think it should be mandatory. A woman who CHOSES to have unprotected sex and CHOSES to be pregnant also makes the choice to bear the responsiblities of such.
Reply:i think they should


well, jobs like government jobs such as postal worker pays on maternity leave
Reply:Yeah i think women should be paid while on maternity leave. Sometimes just the fathers income isn't enough for everything.
Reply:i got paid maternity leave, and it was great!, however I only received 85% of my regular check, oh well....:-)
Reply:i dont know where your from but i live in uk and when i had my 1st daughter i was entitled to 6 months paid leave at the same rate as my normal wages and six months un paid leave afterwards.


also my partner got 2 weeks paid paternity leave this is standard for most people over here providing they have been working for the company for at least a year (in mine and my partners cases.)


hope this helps
Reply:If you have short term disability insurance then you can get about 65% of your paycheck while on maternity leave. You pay for the insurance so you should get the benefit!
Reply:Hell Yeah! Why shouldn't we?????