Time is overdue to start fighting for maternity/paternity leave for
all people. Not only thinking about it when it becomes personal. Then
it's far to late. Academic people also have to raise kids, and
preferrably in a way that do not scare other people from having kids.
What use is it anyway to have people sleepwalking like zombies at work
(description from an american scientist).
Raising a reasonable number of kids is a responibility all should
chare, so there is no need to feel guilty because other people have to
pay your salary when you are having a leave, to give the next
generation a better start. There have to be someone taking care of
you all when you reach you last days of life.
Look to Scandinavia. Here nobody discusses materinty leave ; time has
come to get better paternity leave rights. Those are now improving.
10-12 months paid, chared between the parents, is normal. Thats what
all people in fairly rich parts of the world (like US) should aim for.
Gerd
On 17 Aug 2001 21:44:09 +0100, "Fisher, Roxanne" <RFisher at Chatham.edu>
wrote:
>>Dear Women-in-bio folks:
>>Has anyone out there in academia gotten paid maternity leave? I'm talking
>about 6 weeks or so. I had no problem getting approval for maternity leave.
>I'm due 10/10 and have leave through the end of the fall semester, I'll
>start teaching again January 29th. An adjunct will finish my courses for
>me. The human resources people say they're "researching " whether I can get
>paid or not. Staff get paid maternity leave by using their sick and
>vacation time, but I don't get sick and vacation time since my appointment
>is as a 9 month faculty member. One faculty member had a baby last year,
>but she had her daughter 1 week before the semester ended. Chatham is so
>small that apparently no other faculty have had babies during the school
>year or at least haven't for quite a long time. I'd be interested to hear
>how maternity leave is handled for faculty at other colleges and
>universities.
>>Thanks!
>>Roxanne
>**************************************************************************
>Roxanne H. Fisher rfisher at chatham.edu>Assistant Professor of Biology phone (412)365-1893
>Chatham College fax (412)365-1505
>Woodland Road
>Pittsburgh, PA 15232
>***********************************************************************
>>
