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“If a woman comes back to work before her child is 2, society here judges her to be a bad mom.”
Parental leave policies vary widely around the world — from zero government-mandated paid leave in the US to 87 paid weeks in Estonia.
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Some countries offer long leaves to mothers, but little or no time to fathers, and reflect cultural beliefs about family structures and whether women with young children should work. Others allow families the flexibility to split the time off between two parents.
If you're a parent in the US, it may be hard to read about other countries' policies without feeling your blood boil. Some US companies competing for highly skilled talent have recently upped their benefits. But for most workers, especially low-income ones, the only option is unpaid leave — though not everyone is eligible and many who are can't afford to take it.
We heard from hundreds of parents all over the world. Here are some of their experiences.
“If a woman comes back to work before her child is 2, society here judges her to be a bad mom who doesn’t want to care for the kid.”
I took two years, with five months covered by my workplace and 19 months paid by health insurance (it is paid for everyone here in Hungary). I received 80% of my salary on average.
If a woman comes back to work before her child is 2, society here judges her to be a bad mom who doesn't want to care for the kid.
I haven't gone back yet. It's a tough situation — on one hand, it's magical to be with the baby, but I feel separated. There are no quality child care solutions, no chance to do my job part-time or work from home. I am planning to change careers.
—Anonymous, 32, Hungary
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“There is even a motorbike courier service in Jakarta to take breast milk home from your office so your baby can have it while you work.”
I took four months leave at full salary. Indonesian law requires three months full pay and I got an extra month from my company (I am an expat).
The transition back was great. My company has “soft landing,” so you come back four hours at first and gradually build up to eight hours. They were flexible and understood my needs.
Southeast Asia is world class when it comes to leave and providing for new mums. My work had a lovely nursing room complete with fridge and sterilizer. There is even a motorbike courier service in Jakarta to take breast milk home from your office so your baby can have it while you work.
—Cara, 39, Indonesia, marketing executive
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