Why don't WOHMs fight for better work conditions? Discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have exactly one vote. And despite voting in every single election I've been eligible to vote in since I turned 18, my one vote isn't enough to do any of the above. Hell, it couldn't even stop Trump.

You could make changes at your company.

You have more than just your vote.

I'm the PP above. My company? Didn't realize I owned a company! Oh right, let me go make those changes now!

[Anonymous]

Lack of political will. Capitalist society is dog eat dog competitive. We barely could get universal health care and our education system is dysfunctional.

Things are changing, though...rising populism means we will see two extremes. One in my opinion is unproductive — find a scapegoat to blame and expel them from society in an attempt to purge our sins. We should be working together to help all boats rise.

[Anonymous]

NP. We can start by doing things within our power. I gave my nanny paid maternity leave. How can I expect other employers to do so if I don't myself?

I allowed flextime and work from home for a small side business with part-time employees.

Do you know that a bipartisan Congress passed a bill for universal daycare and Nixon vetoed it? It was an entitlement but not required. The veto was actually out of step with Nixon's general approach to bipartisan federal program expansion, but Pat Buchanan prevailed on him based on cultural fear mongering about childhood indoctrination, and deriding it as eroding "family values."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am part of a group in my workplace that is trying to improve working conditions at our agency. We got a mother's room and a subsidy for childcare.

In terms of maternity leave, it is much more difficult, since I work for the feds. What we have done is tried to support a culture where management lets pregnant employees accrue comp time, so we can try to maximize the leave we have to take once we have the baby. It seems to be making a difference here and there.

So to answer your patronizing question, OP -- some of us are trying to work for these changes, on top of holding down a full-time job and trying to raise our kids.

I should add -- I do not begrudge those who don't actively participate in this struggle because I recognize I don't know the particulars of anyone's situation.

And I should add I think you are awesome!

[Anonymous]

Because women who agitate for these changes get a reputation -- as a "feminazi", as a bitch, as someone who people don't want to work with. Similar dynamic with POC who agitate for changes in racial policies -- get stereotyped as angry, loud, threatening.

This is why MEN need to advocate for changes in things like maternity leave as well, why it can't be perceived as just a woman's issue. Too easy to just dismiss the woman as difficult. CHeryl Sandberg wrote about this a bit in Lean In, about how when she mentioned to ZUckerberg that some pregnant lady parking would be nice, he was like "sure, no problem." But it never occurred to him to offer it on his own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a societal issue, the burden of which falls on working mothers in a disproportionate way.

All workers should be fighting for this, not just mothers.

Yes! To the OP, why do you not include working fathers in your equation?

[Anonymous]

People that make decisions are still older and generally men

Also it's very common for DCUM women to stay at home when their kids are born until 1,2,3, start preschool

[Anonymous]

Who watches your kids, op? Nanny or daycare? Are they paid a living wage? Do they get good benefits? You have to start there.

My DC org provides 16 weeks maternity leave. It's a tiered system in terms of what's paid. By the time I had my last kid, 12 weeks were fully paid.

My hours are long because I'm in upper management. Back when I was in my old position, it was simply 9-5. Telecommuting once a week is permitted.

In my ideal world, the standard work week would be 30 hours, and everyone would be cool with telecommuting on school days. And we would shut down for a week at Christmas and Easter in alignment with school closures. Plus a week at the end of August when camps are closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who watches your kids, op? Nanny or daycare? Are they paid a living wage? Do they get good benefits? You have to start there.

My DC org provides 16 weeks maternity leave. It's a tiered system in terms of what's paid. By the time I had my last kid, 12 weeks were fully paid.

My hours are long because I'm in upper management. Back when I was in my old position, it was simply 9-5. Telecommuting once a week is permitted.

In my ideal world, the standard work week would be 30 hours, and everyone would be cool with telecommuting on school days. And we would shut down for a week at Christmas and Easter in alignment with school closures. Plus a week at the end of August when camps are closed.

I'm ready to live in your ideal world! It sounds a bit like some of the European countries. ?

[Anonymous]

Are there any actual studies that show that the US 1) needs more children (vs immigrants) and 2) needs all parents of young children to be working? I am NOT arguing against women/young mothers in the workplace. But I haven’t seen a convincing reason to make both childbirth and full employment a national priority. It seems that we could bring in more immigrants to be the next generation, pay for social security, etc. And it seems that all signs are pointing to fewer jobs/fewer hours society wide due to automation.

[Anonymous]

Why don't you plan for your pregnancies and save ypurvleave? I am not willing to pay for your maternity leave, you "mom work space"--whatever that is. Your childcare problem is YOUR responsibility, not mine. If you cannot afford to have unpaid leave, don't get pregnant. If you cannot afford UNSUBSIDIZED child care, stop having children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any actual studies that show that the US 1) needs more children (vs immigrants) and 2) needs all parents of young children to be working? I am NOT arguing against women/young mothers in the workplace. But I haven’t seen a convincing reason to make both childbirth and full employment a national priority. It seems that we could bring in more immigrants to be the next generation, pay for social security, etc. And it seems that all signs are pointing to fewer jobs/fewer hours society wide due to automation.

As a young woman who is married and of child bearing age, SO many of us would be having children or having more children if we had paid maternity or daycare wasn't $1800 a month. It's fabulous that poor immigrants are bringing up our population numbers instead. I'm glad we decided that was a good solution to our declining population numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am part of a group in my workplace that is trying to improve working conditions at our agency. We got a mother's room and a subsidy for childcare.

In terms of maternity leave, it is much more difficult, since I work for the feds. What we have done is tried to support a culture where management lets pregnant employees accrue comp time, so we can try to maximize the leave we have to take once we have the baby. It seems to be making a difference here and there.

So to answer your patronizing question, OP -- some of us are trying to work for these changes, on top of holding down a full-time job and trying to raise our kids.

I should add -- I do not begrudge those who don't actively participate in this struggle because I recognize I don't know the particulars of anyone's situation.

And I should add I think you are awesome!

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you plan for your pregnancies and save ypurvleave? I am not willing to pay for your maternity leave, you "mom work space"--whatever that is. Your childcare problem is YOUR responsibility, not mine. If you cannot afford to have unpaid leave, don't get pregnant. If you cannot afford UNSUBSIDIZED child care, stop having children.

Sigh. This kind of contempt is really bothersome. If you had a medical emergency or an elderly parent that needed care, you'd want time off too. Better leave policies benefit everyone.

[Anonymous]

The fact that OP has to ask this question tells me that OP SAH or is child-free.