Working Moms

Know Your Rights

2007-03-21T23:25:00Z

I recently left my job of almost two years because I was tired of my boss wanting me to develop Stockholm Syndrome. Truly, the man wanted to challenge me regularly in regards to my labor rights and then expected me to be thankful for it. Case in point, when I went on maternity leave, he told me he was not legally required to hold a position for me since he did not employ 100 employees or more. Fortunately, I was up-to-date on my Department of Labor Laws and was able to send him this little tidbit straight from the DOL website:

“The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It also requires that their group health benefits be maintained during the leave.

FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. It also seeks to accommodate the legitimate interests of employers and promote equal employment opportunity for men and women.

FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. These employers must provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for any of the following reasons:

• for the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee;

• for placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;

• to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or

• to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Whether an employee has worked the minimum 1,250 hours of service is determined according to FLSA principles for determining compensable hours or work.

Time taken off work due to pregnancy complications can be counted against the 12 weeks of family and medical leave.”

After finally deciding that I’d had enough, I applied and was hired elsewhere and put in my notice. My ex-boss’ response? “You just have no loyalty, Kate.”

And he’s right, I have absolutely no loyalty to him - and thank goodness!

Super Nanny or Super Folly?

2007-03-17T18:34:00Z

The March 12th episode of Supernanny was a disappointing one for breastfeeding women everywhere - in it, Jo Frost disdainfully remarks several times in regards to breastfeeding a child at the age of fourteen months. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breastfeeding is heavily encouraged for the first 24 months of life.

“Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. A recent review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.”

Our society does enough already to discourage mothers from continuing to nourish their children in the best way possible and this is just another example. To speak out, visit the Supernanny forums. To voice your concern to the Supernanny Team, e-mail editorATsupernannyDOTcom.

For more info or for breastfeeding support, visit LaLecheLeague.org.

Germany ups the ante

2006-12-30T04:24:00Z

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

It appears that Germany is about to begin offering increased benefits to new parents - an incentive for working moms to have more children in a nation with a declining birth rate.

While, personally, a slumping national birth rate is not about to change my mind when it comes to having more babies, not having to worry as much about finances while caring for my child for 14 months would certainly make a desire to have more children an easier reality. I have 12 months maternity leave with a portion of my income provided, in Canada, and my husband is entitled to an additional 37 weeks without pay - but it’s not matching the offered 67% of salary that Germany is implementing.

Here’s hoping Germany also sees fit to ensure sufficient quality childcare for their planned baby boom.

Now, will any more countries follow suit??

another read

2006-12-11T04:43:01Z

this time: a poem!

Enjoy!

a couple of reads

2006-12-10T05:39:00Z

Just a quick post from me:

Here are two websites I’ve been meaning to delve deeper into, but I thought I’d give you the chance to do so as well.

Working Mother Magazine: hm. I can’t seem to access the site right now - probably what I get for trying to do things on a Saturday night when server maintenance often occurs. This is the website for a regular print publication and, if I remember correctly, seems to have many of the print articles online (or at least teasers).

The Yummy Mummy Club is an online publication that goes along with a television show. This site includes a section for working mummies.

Take a look around and see what you think! I’ll be trying to make my way through these sites in the next little while and I’ll post any gems that I find!

the daycare tour circuit

2006-11-21T20:55:00Z

In an effort to keep our options open - oh, who am I kidding??

In an effort to try and get our daughter into damn near any daycare by early 2008, we have toured yet another facility. Our names are already on lists with three organizations, covering six daycare facilities, and this would add one more to the pile. There are the two that are associated with my husband’s employer. There are the two that are near our house. There are the two that are sort of close to my husband’s work. And now, there is the fancy-schmancy one that promotes early (early!) education and has a schedule to put any type A to shame.

I have to admit, I was hoping to like this one. But I’m not sure that I do. There wasn’t anything wrong with it at all, and, really, on paper and in person it looks like it should be an excellent facility. It just seems like the kind of system that will either work really well for a child...or be disastrous. And you won’t know until you’ve accepted a position there. Is this the best out there or is this the best out there for my daughter?

So, how, in a world where acceptance at any facility is a coup, do you have any choice in child care? We won’t be needing childcare until she’s 18 months old, but it still feels like we’re at the mercy of the system. How many applications have you submitted? More importantly, how do you know you’ve submitted to the “right” ones?

And with regard to the fancy-schmancy place: we haven’t applied - but the forms and our cheque book are still sitting on the dining room table.

ABC keeps going

2006-11-17T05:01:00Z

Interesting, that after the recent 20/20 episodethat we’ve just discussed, I’ve now just finished watching tonight’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy (Staring at the Sun, Nov. 16/06), in which one of the subplots touched on working moms.

While the show did make a valiant effort to to portray the desire - and to a certain extent, necessity - of moms having jobs (and even full blown careers!), there was still the ‘bad working mommy’ whose young daughter only wanted the nanny at her bedside and whose husband blamed her for the daughter’s accident. And, while the rhetoric and interplay was thought provoking, it was, of course, the images of the little girl, hurt and wanting the comfort from her nanny instead of her mother that leaves little twinges in the gut. Yes, in the end, Meredith comes to terms with her mother’s need to work when she was growing up (you did the best you could) and Dr. Bailey takes a moment to phone her son and sing to him at his bedtime, and the nanny, having been fired, is brought back in to become part of the scene and everyone is at peace with her presence.

Perhaps I’m a little more sensitive to this thread in the show as I am going to tour yet another daycare facility tomorrow and likely add my own daughter’s name to their wait list in the hopes of finding her excellent care for when my husband and I are back at work. Because, then, we’ll have done the best that we could.

In the mean time, I suspect that, around the water cooler tomorrow, more people may be discussing Frank and his man-boobs or how Christina will save Preston’s career for another week. But perhaps a few moments will get taken up talking about women, motherhood, careers and caregivers.

Hi there BlogHer visitors!

2006-11-17T01:50:00Z

I just wanted to give a warm welcome to the visitors from BlogHer!

We’re just starting out here at Working Moms.. but please join us. If anyone would like to be a contributor to this site, please send a note to me .. liz at workingmommies dot org

Woman kicked off an airplane for breastfeeding her baby

2006-11-15T02:07:00Z

MSNBC news link right here.

To say I am shocked by this story is an understatement. We are asked/told to breastfeed, get put down and insulted if we dont and yet a woman is kicked off an airplane for feeding her child????

Seriously people… what is wrong with this country?

She refused to cover up with a blanket even though she was in the next to last row, sitting by the window, with her husband next to her. Maybe the airline attendant should put the blanket over his/her head if he/she happens to walk by and notice.

I am appalled.

You talk about family values, but what about valuing the family?

2006-11-11T13:36:00Z

So I was able to watch the 20/20 piece by Elizabeth Vargas… and while there was some accurate information (The US being, pretty much, the only country that does NOT offer paid benefits for new moms, both Iran and North Korea have better plans, granted I do not want to live in those countries), I found this piece to be shockingly lacking (and shockingly short). Noone talked about the new moms who are forced from there jobs because childcare is much more than their paycheck and have to pick up government assistance. Noone talked about the middle class who are struggling with their 2 parent incomes and raising a child. What about the single moms (I dont know how you girls do it, kudos to you!) who have to work more than one job just to scrape by? What about moms that are denied employment just because they are moms?

I am really glad this piece was aired, but so much was not even touched. I can only hope this is just the beginning.

I am shocked by all the comments on the 20/20 message boards. I did choose to have a child, while some choose not to, yes, my choice. Would you rather I became a productive member positively contributing to our economy or would you prefer that I live on government assistance and food stamps that you pay for with your taxes?

Los Angeles-based radio talk-show host Tom Leykis just railed about how woman should just stay home and it isnt HIS responsibility to help anyone (clearly not looking at the bigger picture), the amount of people who agree with him is astounding to me. One woman called in to say that, “Maybe they should leave their childbearing uterus at home. Why work?” .. WOW.

and THEN.. there is Karen Czarnecki, deputy assistant secretary of labor. She said, and I am quoting here…

“I think mandating such benefits across employers of all kinds will hurt our economy,” she said. “We’d end up losing jobs. I really think the economic consequences would be dire.”

WOW

I actually believe the opposite. I believe that with 71% of all mothers in this country working, the economy would come to a grinding halt without us. I believe that if this country and our businesses were more family friendly we would boost our economy with happier, harder working moms.

We are a country that continuously talks about family values, yet government policies and the lack of discussion about these problems say quite the opposite. They say “sure, have your baby, but just stay home because we’re not going to help you recover and prepare to return to the work force and become an active member and contributor to our economy, we just dont care about you, but please, have more kids because thats what you should do”

Most of us.. CAN’T stay home.. and certainly can’t stay home without substantial government assistance. So which is better? Bettering the benefits and day care assistance, or forcing productive, smart, hardworking women out of the workforce only to have the govenment spend MORE on assistance to help us when we cant work? Moms are also being denied employment because they have kids, many just because they are “of child bearing age” (umm so 18-45 year olds?).. and this is legal discrimination.

They also mentioned a group called ChildFree. I just wanted to mention that I know plenty of couples that choose to be child free .. that is what they want and they have every right to choose that route.. but my child free friends also respect and applaud my choices, as I respect theirs. We hear words like “Freedom” bantered about and part of that freedom is the right to choose, not the right-to-choose-but-you-will-be-punished-for-making-the-wrong-choice (wrong being defined here as the opposite of what whatever choice the accuser has made).

I made the choice to bring a beautiful boy into this world and I believe I (just me here folks, I am only speaking about myself, I cannot speak for others on this statement) am a better mom to him because I have a passion for my work and that teaches him to work hard at the things he loves and to become an active member of society. My choice is that he can grow up in a real family friendly America.

To view the ABC piece go Here. For more information please visit Moms Rising.

tonight on 20/20

2006-11-10T23:48:00Z

A little late in the day, but I just found out about it: tonight (Nov 10 at 10pm) on ABC’s 20/20, Elizabeth Vargas, who is, herself, returning from maternity leave, will be interviewing working moms. I initially heard about it under the context of how working moms balance job and home, but the tagline on the website reads “...Talks About How Working Mothers Can’t Have It All.”. Hm...that seems not quite as balanced as I’d like, but I’ll officially reserve judgement until I watch the segment.

Now, I just have to stay up that late…

Hello! My Name Is:

2006-11-08T18:56:00Z

Kate

I am a Chicago-transplant to the deep south learning to live with culture shock and the trepidation of impending mommahood. Currently I am 30 weeks pregnant with my first child, survivor of multiple miscarriages, mom to three furry kidlets, wife to a born and bred Southerner, and ~~slave~~ employee at a large corporation.

Pending motherhood has changed everything in regards to my life, my marriage, my family relationships, and my work - and I’m looking forward to chronicling the even more immense changes that will occur post-natal.

Interested in watching a slightly neurotic but deeply passionate woman encounter the vast expanse of balancing home and work? Stay tuned.

Footloose and Freelancing Free

2006-11-07T19:27:00Z

I’m Lizzy and I live in Brooklyn, NY with my husband, 7-month-old son, and two cats. Up until I gave birth, I was an editor with a pharmaceutical advertising agency. Now I’m a stay-at-home-mom working to build my client base and take on enough freelance business to help pay the (mounting) bills and have some money leftover to support my (growing) Starbucks habit.
So far, I’ve been able to massage some old business contacts and drum up miscellaneous projects--enough to pay for a Music Together or baby yoga class, buy some groceries, or buy my son some warm fall clothing. Business is picking up now, though, and I’m starting to have difficulty finding the time to get the job done while still being a full time Mom.
I’ll be blogging about the balance of motherhood, family, personal independence, and building up my freelance business.

by way of an introduction

2006-11-07T01:56:00Z

Since my name now appears on the side as a blogger, it seems rather appropriate to stop in and say ‘hi’!

I am Jenn: new mom to my now five month old daughter, wife, pet parent, sporadic poet, blogger, wannabe amateur photographer, choir member and Canadian. I will be on maternity leave until next June, at which time I will return to my laboratory job and my husband will take over at home for roughly 6 months. In the mean time, we are getting our names on daycare lists and trying to keep in contact with my employer and, socially, my co-workers. It’s been a whole new side of a lot of things for me, and I’m looking forward to posting about some of it here. Hope you enjoy!

National Child Care Resources

2006-10-29T21:08:00Z

One of the biggest challanges facing working moms is child care. I know that I spent most of my pregnancy worrying about this. We were lucky to find a home child care situation that worked for us, our child and for our caregiver.

As a place to start, I recommend The National Network for Child Care. It allows you to explore child care options by state and is a good place to start other than just opening your local phone book.. which is always daunting.

Where did you find your child care, and are you happy with it?