Maternity Leave not Matter the Occupation – Yes
“Maternity Leave”...leave from work to birth and or recover from birthing a child or leave when a child is being adopted. Somehow, the term does not initially insinuate “but only for a particular group of people performing certain types of jobs.” This segregation of what job is more important in today's economy is a miscarriage of judgment. Good old fashion common sense should surely come in to play on this very important issue.
Quite frankly, break it down into a small equation. On a company scale, to say that only administrative and management staff should be paid for Maternity Leave would imply that these positions are of greater value than perhaps that of the cleaning staff. Granted, it may require a higher level of skill to perform these tasks and maybe even a higher level of education than it would to perform basic cleaning tasks; but the job itself is of no greater value than the presentation of a clean environment for clients as well as all its employees.
In essence, it is the entire network of people within a company that ensures its continued success. Without the environmental services of the cleaning staff, valuable time would be spent on aesthetics by administration and management staff rather than on the duties they are qualified to perform for the company.
It is common practice among many companies to offer certain benefits to only a particular sect of employees rather than to the entire team. It is viewed as a cost effective measure to hold down labor cost. It also provides another bargaining tool for Human Resources when recruiting mid to top level administrative and management staff. A benefits package is considered part of the salary and thus allows many companies an advantage to hiring individuals they normally would not be able to afford.
In that same vein, to expand that thought throughout all tiers of the Table of Organization would allow an even larger pool of individuals to choose from when hiring. Not only would it deepen the hiring pool, but it would also strengthen the bonds of employee-employer relations.
For a woman to face the financial challenges of raising a child knowing that her job is not secure during her pregnancy, she is less likely to feel an obligation to her employer. Now, offer the benefit of “Maternity Leave”, which secures not only her position within the company but also a fraction of the financial burden she bears, and you are more likely to possess an employee with dedication and vested in the company that employs her. Thus, all mother's, regardless of their occupation, should receive maternity leave.
