“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Emma Lazarus’ words from her poem “The New Colossus” grace the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. They should also grace the front door of most US businesses to welcome mothers back to the office after giving birth or adopting. After all, the United States, land of opportunity, ranks at the bottom when compared to most other countries’ maternity leave policies. As a result, having a baby while working leaves most women tired, poor and yearning to breathe free. Lady Liberty’s torch guided immigrants coming to America. Who will guide our working women? Yes the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 provides unpaid leave up to 12 weeks with guaranteed job protection but it doesn’t protect workers in companies with fewer than 50 employees or who have worked less than 1,250 hours at their current employer. And, it doesn’t require employers to pay workers while on leave. As a result, it is estimated that a mere 8 percent of workers have paid leave benefits in this country. Workers who are not covered by FMLA are subject to state laws and employers’ private policies. This week [...]
