U.S. behind the world on parental leave: report | Reuters
►http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/23/us-usa-maternity-idUSTRE71M62P20110223
Of the 190 countries studied in the report, 178 guaranteed paid leave for new mothers and nine were unclear about their maternity policies. Just three countries clearly offer no legal guarantee of paid maternity leave — Papua New Guinea, Swaziland and the United States.
“Being an outlier is nothing to be proud of in a case like this,” said Janet Walsh, deputy women’s rights director of Human Rights Watch and the author of the report.
“The U.S. is actually missing out by failing to ensure that all workers have access to paid family leave,” she said. “Countries that have these programs show productivity gains, reduced turnover costs, and health care savings. We can’t afford not to guarantee paid family leave under law - especially in these tough economic times.”