Do pregnancy, illness and bereavement entitle employees to special privileges?

Every few seconds, another baby is born.  Yea!   Ok, I’ll avoid the temptation to be cynical (saying something like “What are babies good for?”  or “Why bring yet another screaming baby into this hellish world?”)    It does seem rather odd, however, that many employers offer extraordinarily generous benefits—namely, to be absent from work, with FULL PAY, for one, two or even three months!!!    Yes, you heard correctly.  You have a baby, and suddenly you are entitled to collect the same pay you would have received, had you been working????  That’s a good gig if you can get it!   

Does this not seem just a tad unfair, not just to all the men, but the single and unpregnant women in the workforce, as well ?  What is their compensation for NOT having had a baby?   And how exactly does pregnancy benefit the employer?  Some people say pregnancy is a wonderful thing, and a benefit to society. Well, that may be.  I don’t see it, but whether it is or not, how does that benefit your employer, who lets you have all that time off?  How does it benefit the workers who don’t have, don't want, or can't have children?  How are you more entitled to time off, for doing the same work? 

Don't get me wrong.  I have no problem with them getting time off.   I'm simply asking why their co-workers shouldn't have the same privileges.

For that matter, why even have sick leave?  Doesn’t that unfairly reward the lazy or dishonest people who call in sick when they are not?…. Doesn’t it likewise reward the people who may be hard working but are often indisposed to work because of frequent or chronic illnesses? 

And speaking of time off, why have bereavement leave to attend funerals of the dear departed? Are employees with a plethora of dying relatives more entitled to time off than those who have few, if any, relatives, or those who don’t care about the relatives they DO have, and wouldn’t attend one of their funerals if their favorite reality TV show was on at the same time?

Having an open ended, one-size-fits-all leave plan is more efficient, helps people be honest, and best of all, treats everyone equally, regardless of gender, health, or even how many elderly dying relatives they may have.   I would personally opt for six weeks off a year for all workers, two of it mandatory, with four weeks being accumulative.   That way, employees could all have a much-needed vacation, but could use the four weeks per year for whatever they wished:   pregnancy leave, bereavement leave, vacation time, sick leave, or just a few mental health days to prevent them from “going postal” on their co-workers.  It seems the best solution.... if treating everyone equitably is important to you.

original oil painting by Mikyong Rodgers

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