At USC, parent leave policy warrants improvements
Recently, the subject of paid parental leave has made headlines throughout the country. Earlier this month, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to require businesses to instate paid parental leave for their employees, offering six weeks of fully funded time off. New York joined the ranks of California, New Jersey and Rhode Island to mandate compensation for parents, also providing 12 weeks of partial reimbursement. Though these events mark immense strides on the paid family leave front, the advancements still pale in comparison with the policies in other developed countries. Given this momentum, the University should consider expanding its policies, setting a standard for paid family leave for employees of higher-level institutions.
On some level, USC deserves credit for its generous parental leave policies relative to the rest of the nation. Currently, the University offers 10 paid weeks of maternity leave, though the first week is a waiting period that requires the employee to use their sick days or vacation. Once that time is up, new mothers are given the option to take another 12 unpaid weeks off any time within their child’s first year.
Upon closer examination, however, even USC’s policies are insufficient. Because pregnancy qualifies as a disability, with health insurance, a basic plan would cover 70 percent of earnings for 10 weeks. Faculty, when approved by the Provost, would receive full compensation, but only for 10 weeks. For the remaining 12 weeks new parents are allowed off, however, the most California offers is 55 percent of the highest quarterly earnings. The remaining 45 percent can be extracted from other departments using sick or vacation days, but this compensation is not guaranteed.
USC fails to consider the immense time and resources it takes to raise a child. First, because all employees are promised only 10 weeks of compensation, many new parents feel the pressure to return to work to support their families financially. However, returning to work with such a rapid turnaround has had dire consequences. Last year, a 117-day-old infant entered his first day of daycare healthy and lively, but was found unresponsive at noon when his mother came from work to feed him. The cause of death was inconclusive, but the lack of attention from the daycare owner has raised questions.
Fatalities can be avoided with longer maternity leave, as a study by McGill University and UCLA found that with each additional month a woman is paid for parent leave, the chance for infant mortality decreases by 13 percent. Children need the one-on-one care from their parents, especially in the formative first few months of their lives. The present system, however, precludes new parents from spending time with their children even if they wanted to.
Additionally, an effective parental leave plan extends beyond just the promise of employment upon return and some compensation for time off. Supporting a family, especially with one new member, means maintaining rent or mortgage, making sure there’s food on the table, along with supplying resources associated with infant care, such as diapers, new clothes, bottles and more. Simply matching pay, in the best-case scenarios, is not enough to sustain an infant, much less a whole family.
The University should look to other countries that have the proper protections for new parents. Sweden started offering 12 months, partial pay in 1974. Since then, other amenities have been added to the policy. In addition, tech companies in the United States have reported policies on par with those of other developed nations. Netflix, for example, offers the most admirable parental leave package in the country, with 12 months paid leave. USC has countless examples to which they can look toward to develop their own policies.
Though many students at USC do not hold the responsibility of caring for a child, we are surrounded by employees and faculty members who are dedicated to their families in addition to enhancing our education. Should they decide to expand their families, they deserve the support of the University and the necessary and proper provisions.