Coming in May... Babygate, a new book that tells you what you really need to know about pregnancy and parenting in the American workplace.

Transitioning Back to Work

True or False

1. In 1971, The US Congress passed a bill to establish a national day care system in the United States.
2. Today, nearly four in ten moms are the primary breadwinnerfor their families.
3. Employers can make all nursing employees pump their breast milk in the bathroom.
4. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 5 and 10 percent of mothers report postpartum depression symptoms.
5. About 70 percent of workers who have sick time cannot use it to care for their children when they are ill.
6. At every income level, childcare costs are among the top seven expenses for families.
7. Research shows that offering employees flexible work arrangements increases productivity and shareholder returns.

Answer Key

1. True. President Nixon vetoed it.
2. True. Even more are co-breadwinners.
3. False. If the employee is covered by the Federal Labor Standards Act then she is entitled to pump in a private space other than the bathroom.
4. False. It’s actually more than that: Between 10 and 25 percent of mothers report postpartum depression symptoms.
5. Unfortunately this is true.
6. False. Childcare costs rank among the top three—along with housing and food.
7. True!

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Coming in May... Babygate, a new book that tells you what you really need to know about pregnancy and parenting in the American workplace.

The United States v. The World

1. In which country are a set of parents entitled to 480 days of paid leave per child at 80 percent of their salaries?

1. Ireland
2. France
3. Sweden
4. The United States

2. Which of these countries doesn’t guarantee some leave with pay to women in connection with childbirth?

1. Afghanistan, which has a 26 percent literacy rate and 9 million people living on less than one dollar a day,
2. Djibouti, an African nation plagued by civil war and drought that is home to many nomadic herders,
3. The Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the poorest nations in the world, or 
4. The United States.

3. How may of the worlds’ countries offer paternity leave or the right to paid parental leave for fathers?

1. 20
2. 57
3. 74
4. None

4. Which country offers new moms 26 days of paid leave at 100 percent of their salary?

1. Kazakhstan
2. Papua New Guinea
3. Lesotho
4. Swaziland

5. Of 196 countries in the world, how many guarantee a minimum number of paid sick days?

1. 43
2. 89
3. 163
4. None

6. Which country was named the best country for work-life balance?

1. Denmark
2. Sweden
3. France
4. United States

7. In which country do people work the fewest hours?

1. Belgium
2. Unites States
3. Netherlands
4. Spain

Answer Key:

1. C. And they can take time off of work for long continuous periods, for single days or parts of days, until the child reaches eight years.
2. D. The Unites States.
3. C. Of the 178 countries offering some sort of paid maternity leave, 74 offer a form of paid leave to Dads too. The US isn’t one of them.
4. A. The other three join the US as the only countries that offer no paid leave.
5. B. Many provide a week or more per year for personal health needs. The US is not among them.
6. A. With the lowest child-poverty rate among developed nations, Denmark was ranked number one by the OECD.
7. B. People in the Netherlands work 1,378 hours a year, far below the OECD average of 1,739 hours a year.

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Learn more about the book!

 

New York Women's Equality Coalition Over 500 Organizations Strong. Dina Bakst, A Better Balance Co-Founder & Co-President, spoke at a press conference in Albany on March 4, 2013 as part of the launch of the New York Women's Equality Coalition. Over 500 organizations have all come together to support Governor Cuomo's progressive 10-point Women's Equality Agenda. The Women's Equality Agenda is a critical reform effort that will break down barriers and move toward equal treatment for women under many areas of the law, such as fairness in the workplace for pregnant employees and mothers.

A Busy Year for A Better Balance. It's hard to believe that 2012 is already drawing to a close.  Click here to read our fall newsletter and learn about the exciting victories we achieved this past year for working families. Best wishes to you and your family for much joy in 2013!