FEATURED JOBS
Chana Siff, Baltimore Jewish CouncilWhen it comes to making sure a woman can care for herself and her newborn, Israel is way ahead of the United States. In Israel, a woman who has been in her employment position for at least 10 months receives up to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave and is guaranteed her position when she returns. And, a mother gets three extra weeks for each additional baby born during a single birth. Even more progressive is that after six weeks a father can take paid paternity leave to care for the baby in place of the mother. Women are also allowed to take a full year off without pay but with no risk of losing their jobs.
The United States is the only developed country in the world without paid maternity leave. With only 12 unpaid weeks, the United States doesn’t come close to measuring up to Israel’s liberal policy.