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Return to Article: Feds don't need paid parental leave, OPM says

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  I am a federal employee and I didn't even know that I was pregnannt when I was employeed by the federal government. When I was due to fill out paper work to go on "MATERNITY LEAVE" I was told there is no maternity leave. Meanwhile I expunged most of my sick leave going back and forth to the doctor for prenatal visits. When it was time for me to go for on leave I barely had any time left and I had to end up taking out a TSP loan to cover my expenses. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THEM BECAUSE WITHOUT US THERE WILL BE NO THEM

  Ms. BRathwaite Posted September 5, 2008 6:34 PM
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  As a brand new federal employee I have NO sick leave to spare if I become pregnant. Get the flu and you have wiped out half of the alloted time an employee gets in a year.

  Living in NYC, I can not afford to have a career and a family. These two lifestyles are in heavy conflict for women.

  My agency has 82% brand new employees, most young women. This puts new female federal employees at a SEVERE disadvantage.

  In order to have 8 weeks of paid leave, you can't be sick for THREE YEARS. You want to include vacation time? Fine: you have to work EVERY SINGLE DAY for TWO SOLID YEARS. Then when you come back, you have NOTHING LEFT and must start all over again.

  Who ever said that women don't need maternity leave must have 30 years of sick leave/vacation time to burn or their men.

  - New federal employee

  Debra Posted June 19, 2008 4:40 PM
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  Paid parental leave should be implemented and the six weeks should be only a minimum of time mandated by this effort. As an adoptee of two children recently, I challenge anyone who defies this effort to step up to the plate and volunteer to father/mother a child who has no parents, this is the real benchmark. When you walk in someone's shoes that has done this, then your position should have merit, otherwise, your opinion should be considered mute. As for the parent(s) who chooses to bring a child into this world, don't put blame on the innocent child because both parents must work to make ends meet. Six weeks of paid parental leave is welcomed opportunity for the parent(s) bond with the child and get through the first few days of taking on the seeming insurmountable tasks of the duties of fatherhood/motherhood - so please, give them a break - paid parental leave is needed.

  Robert Cummings Posted May 21, 2007 12:52 PM
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  A mother worth her salt should be at home with a newborn child at least for the first 5-6 years of its life. If you can't do this, then you don't need to be having a child. What happens with working 'mothers' is that someone else (the daycare provider)becomes the real mother to the child who teaches the child her own values. If you're a single woman who has to work to support herself, this poses a problem. My values say that single people shouldn't be having children. A child is not a pet. A child needs care, discipline, and structure in its life; not to mention both a father and mother. A working single parent can not properly provide all of this. This all leads to my bottom line. Paid maternity leave is not what we should be about. If you want a child, quit work and stay home to raise and guide the child. Use your annual and sick leave if you persist. What is it you really want? To sit on your butt at home for as long as the government is willing to send you a maternity leave 'welfare' check? And how long is long enough- 18 years?

  Roy Lawson Posted May 17, 2007 12:24 PM