A Response to Arguments against Mandated Parental Leave: Findings from the Connecticut Survey of Parental Leave Policies

This article provides a throretical and empirical analysis of three of the major arguments advanced by opponents of mandated parental leave policies. These arguments are (a) that many firms already voluntarily provide parental leave; (b) that child care, not parental leave, is what parents want and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marriage and family 1991-05, Vol.53 (2), p.445-460
Main Authors: Trzcinski, Eileen, Finn-Stevenson, Matia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business structures
Child care
Childbirth
Connecticut
Disabilities
Employed Parents
Employees
Family Policy
Firms
Infant care
Labor Policy
Leaves of Absence
Maternity & paternity leaves
Maternity leave
Parental Leave
Parents
Personnel Policy
Pregnancy
Social research
Statutory law
Surveys
Work and the Family
Working conditions
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This article provides a throretical and empirical analysis of three of the major arguments advanced by opponents of mandated parental leave policies. These arguments are (a) that many firms already voluntarily provide parental leave; (b) that child care, not parental leave, is what parents want and need; and (c) that mandated parental leave will raise the costs of doing business. The empirical evidence is drawn from the 1988 Connecticut Survey of Parental Leave Policies. Overall, the survey results indicate that less than 15% of Connecticut firms provided job-guaranteed parental leave and that most firms exhibited the resourcefulness and flexibility to deal with leaves without incurring substantial direct costs.
ISSN:0022-2445
1741-3737
DOI:10.2307/352911