Examine the Family and Medical Leave Act. How did it come about? Compare and contrast like policies across the globe. What does legislation such as the Family and Medical Leave Act reveal about a society?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1, Explain that the 1993 Act provides women with 12 weeks of unpaid leave following childbirth. New fathers can take this time off also, as can same-sex partners and individuals needing to care for a sick family member.
2, Explain that expanded government support for child care, for example, has been advocated on gender equality grounds, so that women can more fully enter the workforce. In the United States, the need to accommodate the special demands placed on women inspired the Act.
3, Mention some specifics such as France, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Germany, and India that provide from 12 to 26 weeks of leave with 100 percent of wages paid. The United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, and Japan offer 14 to 22 weeks at 60 to 90 percent of one's wages. And Australia offers unpaid leave, like the United States, but for a one-year period. .
4, Describe that differing political cultures are behind these differences. Overall, social and welfare programs in the United States tend to be less comprehensive than those in other countries, partly because of the power of American creed beliefs about individualism and limited government and debates over whether the government or employers should bear the expense of paid leave.