General Discussion
Showing Original Post only (View all)what do childfree/childless people get instead of "parental leave?" [View all]
I think it's great that all the Democratic candidates are pushing for paid family leave in order to bond with the new child or take care of a sick family member. But how is this going to be implemented in a way that is not unfair to nonparents? I have heard of similar benefits offered as part of a package in a cafeteria style menu. So if you don't have kids and are not planning to have kids, you could use a gym membership, or parking vouchers, or extra vacation, or what have you. But if the government is going to mandate new parents be allowed to have paid leave to bond with their children, where does that leave the non-parents who might want to volunteer at an animal shelter, work for the environment, or do something to contribute to society other than having a child?
i'm not down on paid family leave, and I'm not trying to pit people with children against people without children. I'm interested in genuine ideas about how this could be implemented in a way that is fair to everyone. Having children is a choice that not everyone makes. But paid leave is a benefit, that if it is going to be implemented, should be equally applied to all workers . How does this get solved fairly if the government is going to get involved with it?