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Sunday, April 09, 2006
Maternity Leave, Part II
I'm on vacation again. I originally intended to take off 3 weeks for maternity leave after my partner gave birth to our son Graham in February. Instead, I took 2 weeks, and decided to spend a week in April visiting family with Ann-Elise and Graham (right). So here I am writing this from a Starbucks in Eastpointe, MI. Perhaps I will post again from the road if I don't have to pay through the nose for wi-fi.
Enjoy being in Vermont, people. The rest of the world isn't nearly as beautiful or as friendly.
April 9, 2006 at 12:49 PM in House Rules | Permalink
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Comments
Well, he's about as cute as they come.
Posted by: chris | Apr 9, 2006 5:15:20 PM
Excellent photo Cathy.
Hope you're all having a good visit and vacation. Enjoy it while you can. We will all be here when you get back and, once you have time to catch up, etc., that is soon enough.
Posted by: mwb | Apr 9, 2006 8:11:35 PM
hurry on back, girl! i don't want to plan a reconaissance mission out to some god-forsaken state!
Posted by: newyorkex | Apr 10, 2006 10:49:09 AM
Ah, he's got such a cute and kittenish face!
Posted by: Gravity | Apr 10, 2006 12:46:35 PM
THAT is one cute kid :)
Posted by: James Hathaway | Apr 10, 2006 2:05:01 PM
OK, he's bald, he's sorta pudgy looking; I like him already! Hopefully, he's a long way from being married.
BWA HA HA HA HA!!!
Posted by: Greg Henry | Apr 10, 2006 7:02:34 PM
Can you explain how maternity leave works with a lesbian couple? Do both women get it? Is it written into law or does it vary depending on employer? In straight couples, usually only the one that actually has the baby gets maternity leave. Fathers don't. If you're not the one who had the baby, why do you get it? Doesn't that feed certain right-wing arguments that gays don't just want equal rights, they want (and sometimes get) "special" rights?
Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 10, 2006 8:40:58 PM
You're right, fathers don't get maternity leave. They get paternity leave. Or "family leave." Plenty of employers offer time off for the second parent--father or other mother. Most employers also offer time off for parents who are adopting.
Spending time with my amazing newborn son is incredibly special, but it's not a "special right."
Posted by: cresmer | Apr 10, 2006 10:11:36 PM
Having 3 high schoolers, it's been a long time for me. I would imagine that there is considerable social pressure on straight dads who apply for family leave. I can just see some guy who does construction work taking a lot of beef from 'the guys' about doing that.
Posted by: Greg Henry | Apr 11, 2006 4:57:16 PM
yes, it probably depends on the type of work you do if a guy gets paternity leave. in the office world, which is where I work, I think it is common (or at least not uncommon). I imagine not in construction, and other service oriented type jobs. though now I'm really curious.
and I agree that Cathy's leave is the equiv. of paternity leave, which is much shorter than maternity leave, but is still something (not a couple days off).
Posted by: evening | Apr 11, 2006 7:23:04 PM
In case anyone is interested.....
This report is interesting (link is to a PDF file): http://www.nationalpartnership.org/portals/p3/library/PaidLeave/ParentalLeaveReportMay05.pdf.
It gives some definitions of commonly used terms like family leave, paternal leave, etc. It also analyzes the various states for both private & public sector jobs and how they treat a new child.
This is also an interesting read about paternity leave in general: http://life.familyeducation.com/working-parents/fathers-day/36483.html
Posted by: evening | Apr 11, 2006 7:40:14 PM
That is the cutest picture! Enjoy the family time.
Posted by: charity | Apr 11, 2006 8:36:04 PM
I should add that I only took 2 weeks of leave, unpaid. Ann-Elise gets 3 months at a certain percentage of her salary. Some of that comes from taking short-term disability. I'm not eligible for that.
This 3rd week I'm taking is my very own vacation time.
In Canada, the bio or adoptive parents get 1 year (!), no matter what their occupation, which they can split between them however they like.
Honestly, I don't think I could be away from my work more than a couple weeks.
Posted by: cresmer | Apr 12, 2006 9:34:53 AM
Whadja do with his ears? He's gonna need those.
Posted by: odum | Apr 13, 2006 11:13:02 AM
God, what a beautiful child.
Posted by: NTodd | Apr 17, 2006 12:02:50 PM
Man alive, he is ADORABLE!!!!
Posted by: Chris Fells | Apr 18, 2006 6:58:42 AM
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